Before you meet
- Write down one or two things you want from mentoring. They do not need to be perfect.
- Read your mentor's profile again and note something you would like to ask them about.
- Check the time, the format and the link or address. Test video and sound if you are meeting online.
In the first conversation
- Introduce yourself in a couple of minutes: where you are now and where you would like to go.
- Ask your mentor how they got to where they are, and what they wish they had known.
- Agree how you will meet, how often, and how you will contact each other through the arrangements our team set up.
Good questions to ask
- What does a typical week look like in your role?
- What do employers in your field look for that people often miss?
- If you were in my position, what would you try first?
- Who else would be worth talking to?
Before you finish
- Agree one small, specific action you will each take before you next meet.
- Set the date of the next session, or agree that this was a one-off conversation.
- Say thank you. Your mentor is a volunteer, and a short note afterwards means a lot.