Preparing For Your First Mentorship Meeting
Prior To Your First Meeting
Set up the meeting
Schedule the initial meeting. Take responsibility for scheduling the first meeting with your mentor, via Zoom, for 1 hour. The main purpose of this meeting is to get acquainted and establish goals and expectations for your mentoring relationship.
Reflect on your goals and expectations
Clarify your skill interests.
- Identify your personal and professional goals for the mentoring relationship.
- Consider what you hope most to learn and prepare a list of questions you would like to ask your mentor.
- Be realistic – remember the initial commitment is 4 meetings
Your First Meeting
The following is a sample agenda for a first meeting.
| Mentees | Mentors | |
|---|---|---|
Introduction (15 min) | Share your professional experiences and background. Share personal information, as you feel comfortable. | Share your experiences, especially those relevant to your mentee’s skill interests. Share personal information, as you feel comfortable. |
Review Goals (15 min) | Share goals for your professional development and the mentoring relationship. | Reflect on which goals you are best positioned to assist with, and in which ways. Let mentee know which you cannot help with, and point them towards alternative resources, if possible. |
Refine Goals and Develop Strategies (15 min) | Discuss which goal you can work towards together, and first steps. Determine the focus of your next meeting. | With mentee, choose a goal and first steps. |
Establish MeetingTimes (10 min) | Discuss times, dates, and places for meetings. | Discuss with your mentee your preferences for meeting contact (e-mail, office visits, etc.) as well as your availability. |
Wrap Up (5 min) | Express appreciation! Thank your mentor for his or her time and effort. Recap what you will be doing to follow up, and what you’ll be discussing at your next meeting | Review and confirm any commitments you have made to mentee. |
Follow-Up and Post-Meeting
Follow up promptly on any commitments you have made. Mentees should take responsibility for setting-up subsequent meetings, but mentors, if you do not hear from your mentee within a few weeks, please reach out to ensure that the relationship retains momentum.