The Mentor Process
Registration and matching
- Professionals interested in volunteering as mentors register by completing an online registration form. After the application is reviewed by The Mentoring Partnership, a mentor’s profile is then uploaded to a centralized database.
- A mentoring coach from one of 12 community partners contacts the mentor once they have identified a potential match, which is primarily based on the industry and occupation of the mentor and mentee.
- The mentoring coach reviews the mentee profile with the mentor and the mentor confirms the suitability of the match. This process typically take two to four weeks if there is a suitable match available.
Once a match is finalized:
- Matched mentors and mentees attend an orientation session. This session prepares them for their respective roles in the mentoring relationship.
- After the orientation session, mentors and mentees meet in person for the first time to agree upon the goals of the mentoring relationship and sign a simple partnership agreement. Some of the typical relationship goals that may be discussed at this stage are: understanding workplace culture, self-marketing ideas, accreditations, establishing professional networks, identifying employment opportunities and setting job search strategies.
- Mentors and mentees work together for a total of 24 hours over a period of four months. The mentoring coach supports the mentor and mentee through these four months, providing advice, resources, communication and relationship support as necessary.
- At the conclusion of the mentoring relationship, both mentors and mentees provide evaluative feedback.
