If you are keen to become a mentor, your support can be invaluable in providing careers guidance, advice, industry insight and professional development.
Whether you're looking to become or seek a mentor, there are lots of ways for you to get involved; from using the alumni network platform to approach a mentor or become one yourself for alumni-to-alumni mentoring relationships, to becoming a mentor on our Women in Brunel Engineering and Computing (WiBEC) scheme or our Brunel Professional Mentoring programme.
Quick guides - how to make the most of being a mentor / mentee
A good mentoring relationship can do wonders for your personal and professional development - it's all about finding the right balance. Take a look at our quick guides below to help you successfully take up the position of a mentor or mentee.
Your quick guide to... being a mentor
What is mentoring?
Being a mentor means supporting someone through a developmental journey. It is a two-way relationship and you will both have the chance to learn new things. The Brunel Alumni eMentoring programme gives you the chance to support a student or recent graduate who is about to enter your field of work. There is no set duration for your mentoring relationship - each one is different. The eMentoring is designed to be flexible rather than the formal Professional Mentoring scheme at Brunel.
What kind of things might my mentee need support with?
- Concerns about qualifications or experience they need.
- How to approach potential employers.
- A realistic viewpoint on what life really is like working in your field.
- Being a sounding board for ideas with projects, jobs or experience.
You are not there to change the mentee, or make decisions for them; you are there so that they have more information to help them choose their own path.
A mentor should...
- Agree parameters for contact at the outset - shape expectations of duration, method and frequency.
- Listen, confidentially, to the issues raised by the mentee.
- Share your own experiences, successes and failures, to help.
- Give friendly and unbiased support.
- Provide honest and constructive feedback.
- Suggest alternatives for consideration when they are making decisions.
- Provide contacts and networks where possible.
- Inspire and encourage the mentee.
- Offer to be a referee for the mentee when they are applying for jobs, if you feel you can do so.
A mentor should not...
- Determine the student’s goals or give advice.
- Provide a counselling, training or coaching service.
- Try to sort out all problems.
- Tell the mentee what to do.
Your quick guide to... being a mentee
What is mentoring?
Being a mentee means connecting with someone who can offer support through your developmental journey. The Brunel Alumni eMentoring programme gives you the chance to connect with one of our alumni who works in the field you are interested in. There is no set duration for your mentoring relationship - each one is different.
A mentee should...
- Take responsibility for initiating and continuing the mentoring relationship - be proactive.
- Agree contact parameters at the outset - outline the sort of things you think you would like support with and find out how frequently, and for how long, your mentor can support you.
- Set your own goals - both long term career goals and goals for the specific message you are sending to the mentor.
- Ask questions if you are unsure or need clarity.
- Listen and respect perspectives that might not match your own. You will learn far more if you are open to hearing different viewpoints, even if you don’t agree with them.
- Follow up on actions and learning so both of you can track your progress.
- If you need support with the process, please email the Alumni Office in the first instance.
- Please be respectful of the mentor’s time - if they don’t respond quickly, they may be very busy with other priorities.