For mentors

For more information about the mentoring process and supporting material prepared for mentors and mentees, please visit the Career mentoring phases and supporting material page. There, you can find answers to the following questions and more:

• How should mentoring be started?
• What is a good mentoring relationship made of?
• What does mentoring mean in practice?
• How do we work to achieve our goals?
• What rules and goals should be defined for mentoring?

On the page, you can also find a mentoring agreement template, a video of the progress of mentoring meetings and an assessment form template.

Mentoring is a process, which also has an end. You can also maintain contact with your mentee after the mentoring programme if you have agreed this with them. The end of a mentoring relationship does not mean that development should also end – for either of you. You should continue your development and advance your career independently after mentoring.

• Mentoring is an equal relationship between two people, in which the mentor supports the mentee in their professional development.
• The relationship should be based on open and active interaction and confidentiality.
• Set goals at the beginning of your mentoring relationship – both larger goals and smaller interim goals.
• The mentoring relationship is based on the mentee’s wishes and goals.
• The mentor’s role and the nature of mentoring are also specified on their basis.
• Agree upon a shared set of rules for your meetings and mentoring relationship: Who will you maintain contact and how often? Will you prepare yourselves for your meetings? What will you do when you meet?
• Face your partner openly without any prejudice.
• The mentor does not need to give or find a job or a training position for the mentee or do anything on the mentee’s behalf.
• If there is something wrong with your relationship, discuss it with your mentee. If required, contact the organiser if there is one.

1. How much time does mentoring take?

The time spent on mentoring depends on how long your mentoring process is, and how often you meet. Usually, mentoring only takes a few hours per month, but time management is needed to be agreed before your mentoring relationship starts. However, you need be ready to spend at least a few hours a month on mentoring. Different activities between meetings also take time, such as sending messages, finding information and being prepared for meetings.

2. What skills do I need to possess?

The mentor does not need to know any magic tricks. It is enough that you want to help, are interested in sharing your experiences and expertise, respect other people and have good social skills. The mentor should be open to new perspectives and self-reflection. The mentor should have some work experience in their field. The mentor often has volumes of knowledge that they do not recognise, but that are valuable for the mentee.

3. Can I receive support for mentoring?

If you have participated in a mentoring programme provided by an organisation as a mentor, the organisation will support you. This YES Kummit website also offers loads of useful information and supporting material for mentoring. These will come in handy both before and during your mentoring process.

4. What if my cooperation with my mentee doesn’t work?

Discuss things openly with your mentee from the beginning. After all, open and honest interaction reduces any problems with mentoring. If your cooperation doesn’t work, it is good and important to discuss it. It is good to talk about problems. If your cooperation still does not work, you may end the mentoring relationship, but you should talk about it together. It is good to agree on ending the relationship together and consider how the mentee can continue their professional growth without you continuing as their mentor. If you are participating in a mentoring programme organised by a party, also contact the organiser.

5. Should I be able to give or find a job for the mentee?

No. You are not responsible for finding a job or a training position for the mentee. The mentor’s role is to help the mentee to advance on their career path, while the responsibility for finding a job is ultimately in the mentee’s own hands.