What to cover each session…

Before you meet

  • Get to know your partner. Review your partner’s resume, visit their LinkedIn profile, read any additional information provided by CTAN.

  • Mentors, schedule a time to meet. Communicate with your mentee about your schedule. Keep in mind any time changes if applicable. You are committing to two 1-hour sessions over the course of two months. Use scheduling apps to help such as https://calendly.com/ if desired.

  • Decide a platform: Zoom, Google Meet, what’s your preferred communication method? What about when you’re not in a session (if mentee has questions) e-mail, Slack, chat?

  • Mentees, brainstorm goals: What do you want to get out of your mentorship sessions? Prepare a few SMART goals ahead of time. You can refine them together with your mentor in your first session.

First Session

  • Set ground rules and expectations.

    • How often can your mentee contact you outside of the sessions?

    • What do you both hope to get out of the sessions?

    • How do they prefer to be coached (what style of communication)?

    • Any accommodations your mentor/mentee needs to know about?

  • Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time oriented

    • Think about benchmarks to measure success. What do you hope to achieve by session two? What do you hope to achieve in three months? 

  • Create an Action Plan. What steps will you have to take to reach your goals?

  • Assign “homework”. What will the mentee work on in between sessions?

Second Session

  • Debrief. How did the “homework” go for the mentee? What worked and what didn’t?

  • Revisit goals. What’s the next step in the action plan? Does anything need to be adjusted?

  • Create a post-mentorship program plan. What will the mentee work on by themselves after your sessions are over?

  • Open doors. Help expand your mentee’s network by suggesting people they can speak to for informational interviews.

  • Take a moment to celebrate successes. Say a word of congratulations for completing the program. 

After the Program

  • Follow up. If desired, you can follow up with your mentee a few months after the program to see how they’ve been doing on their longer term goals.