While mentor-mentee relationships are encouraged to be self-initiated and to grow over time, we have provided a few starting guidelines to help facilitate relationship-building and advice for ways to conduct yourselves. If you have any suggestions, please send them to us [email protected]

Guidelines for Mentees 🌱

  1. Reach out with an initial introductory message and be brief and to the point.
  2. Introduce yourself and where you’re at in your professional journey
  3. Make a list of things you would like to discuss with a mentor, including your longer term goals you hope to achieve and share the list with your potential mentor, noting key areas where you think they can help you with their time. Ask them what they would like to help you with.
  4. Make a proposal to meet consistently
  5. Create scheduled check-ins to hold each other accountable to the dates and times agreed upon.
  6. Prepare for each meeting with work to show or discussion questions to each meeting, and be punctual.
  7. If the mentorship is not working out reach out and provide an upfront message before seeking out another mentor.

Guidelines for Mentors 🌳

  1. Be open-minded to mentees who reach out and ask them what it is they want help with.
  2. For each mentee who reaches out, introduce yourself and what you do, what your interests are, and why you would like to help mentees.
  3. Each mentee should have a list of things they want to work on improving. Before agreeing to be their mentor, check if you are able to provide help in the areas that they have written down.
  4. If the mentorship match might not be a good fit, try to be upfront about why before turning it down.
  5. Once you agree to mentoring someone, make an effort to meet regularly and consistently for at least a month. Give it three months in order to observe any progress.
  6. Treat each mentee with respect, and be punctual for scheduled meeting times. Work with them to find a time that fits both your schedules.
  7. Conduct a “mood check” with the mentee during each meeting and start off with some light conversation before jumping into professional development or critiques.
  8. Foster self-initiated improvement and development through positive reinforcement and try not to be overly critical of work, but encourage them to improve over time, regularly referring back to the list of goals that the mentee made.
  9. It’s a good idea to discuss action items near the end of each mentor session and to schedule in the next time to meet.