Mentorship Planning Introduction
You can use these examples as inspiration for your meetings with your mentor or mentee. The focus of your meetings will depend on the goals that you set together based on the Partnership Goal Setting document you complete during your first meeting.
Goals: Getting to Know One Another and Partnership Goal Setting
- Mentees should bring their CV/Resume for mentors to review.
- Mentor and mentee share details about their professional work history.
- Together, go through the Partnership Goal Setting document. Mentee, discuss the key areas you want to focus on during the partnership.
- Based on the completed document, decide on areas to focus on for the next meetings. Set realistic goals for each week.
- Set/confirm the next meeting date and location.
- Mention the preferred way of staying in touch.
- Agree on how to communicate changes in meeting times and response expectations.
Goals: Applying for Jobs
- Review and discuss recent job postings that the mentee has found. Identify must-haves and nice-to-haves in the postings.
- Discuss expertise, experiences, or industry-specific terms to highlight in applications.
- Review the mentee’s LinkedIn profile and discuss enhancements to attract employers.
- Recommend additional profession-specific LinkedIn groups to join.
- Set/confirm the next meeting date and location.
Goals: Hiring Processes
Interview Practice
- Conduct a mock interview session and discuss the experience afterward.
- Discuss strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps for better performance.
- Set/confirm the next meeting date and location.
Telephone Interview
- Conduct a mock telephone interview and provide feedback on strengths and improvements.
- Set/confirm the next meeting date and location.
Goals: Networking
Practice Information Interviews
- Mentor contacts a colleague or another mentor for an information interview with the mentee.
- If mentees are unfamiliar with conducting information interviews, mentors can help facilitate or prepare them beforehand.
- Set/confirm the next meeting date and location.
Networking Discussions
- Discuss typical professional networking opportunities in Canada.
- Mentor shares information about professional organizations and events useful for the mentee.
- Compare networking practices in Canada with those in other countries, including how people meet, interact, and build relationships professionally.
- Set/confirm the next meeting date and location.
Goals: Workplace Culture and Communication
- Discuss unwritten workplace rules and how they vary by profession, sector, and country.
- Talk about similarities and differences between mentee and mentor experiences.
- Identify what mentees should learn about workplace culture when starting a new job and how to do so effectively.
- Set/confirm the next meeting date and location.
Goals: After the Job Search
Performance Reviews
- Discuss typical performance review processes and expectations in Canada.
- Talk about how feedback is given and how employees are expected to respond.
- Discuss what new hires can do during the probationary period to demonstrate their value to the organization.
- Set/confirm the next meeting date and location.
Final Meeting
- Discuss ongoing career and professional development plans.
- Develop an action plan for the coming months, including job search, networking, and onboarding preparation.
- Review the Partnership Goal Setting document to assess accomplishments and celebrate successes.
- Discuss any unmet topics and how mentees can explore these areas independently.