Benefits of Mentoring

Louise BamfordStephen ColeHanna Gnanaseharam

Career Development Centre

www.westminster.ac.uk/careerswww.westminster.ac.uk/careers

Objectives

This session will help you to:

• Understand the benefits of mentoring

• Learn about mentoring opportunities

• How to make the most of mentoring

Speed interviewing exercise – What do you think mentoring is?

Speak to 4 people to ask them what they think mentoring is – 5 mins

What is mentoring?

• A long term relationship that meets a developmental need.

• To help and support people to manage their own learning in order to maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be. (Parsloe, 1992)

Famous mentees

• OPRAH WINFREY mentored by Mrs. Duncan (4th grade teacher)

• GEN. COLIN POWELL mentored by his father Luther Powell

• DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING mentored by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays

• LUKE SKYWALKER mentored by Obi-Wan Ben Kenobi (Star Wars)

Famous mentees • SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON mentored by Rev. Donald

James

• QUINCY JONES mentored by Ray Charles

• MARTIN SHEEN mentored by Rev. Alfred Drapp

• DENZEL WASHINGTON mentored by Sidney Poitier

• HARRY POTTER mentored by Professor Dumbledore

• ROSA PARKS mentored by Alice L. White (headmistress)

• LARRY KING mentored by Edward Bennett Williams

What Mentoring Is Not!!

• A job offer

• One way relationship

• Just about securing new contacts

• Always an easy relationship

• Just about getting work experience

Some mentoring quotes • We make a living by what we get, we make a life

by what we give. (Winston Churchill)

• A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could. (Zig Ziglar)

• I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. (Maya Angelou)

What do others think?

From the get mentoring organisation:

http://getmentoring.org/introduction-to-enterprise-mentoring-online-learning/ask-a-mentor/

Mentoring can support:

• Personal development

• Professional development

• Academic development

• Confidence building

Benefits of Mentoring • Communication, networking, inter-personal skills

• Exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking

• Career information, advice, guidance and coaching

• Professional industry knowledge and culture (in UK)

• Impartial advice and feedback

• Increases your confidence

CDC Mentoring Scheme

• University-wide scheme for all students regardless of academic discipline and year of study

• Nov – May

• One mentee to One mentor (usually)

• Meet for 1-2 hours at least once per month, normally at mentor’s place of work

• Contact also via email, skype and telephone

Examples of mentors

• Dentons LLP; PHP Architects, Kier Group;

• Heineken; Ernst & Young;

• BBC; PriceWaterhouseCoopers;

• Barclays Bank; Daiwa Capital Markets;

• Stevens & Bolton LLP; Accenture;

• BPL; Australia New Zealand Bank;

• HMRC; Al-Jazeera (UK); BSI

• Atos; Hodge Jones & Allen; OEG (USA)

• Black & Veatch Corporation (China)

Type of support provided

• Confidence building;

• Interview coaching;

• Work experience;

• CV and applications advice;

• Access to Mentor’s network;

• Sector insight; and

• Invitation to Barclays Bank’s annual Christmas ball

2013/14 Mentee

“I am finding out very interesting things about my profession, things which in the academic environment are usually kept secret. I feel I am improving, both on the personal plan and professional development. I am starting to gain a general understanding about the 'jump' I will have to make once I will finish my academic studies, thanks to my wonderful mentor”.

2013/14 Mentee

"My mentor gave me the confidence to use my own abilities with proper focus and introduced various useful venues and skills which guided and nourished my planning for career development. A truly enriching experience”

PhD Candidate

Mentor

"Mentoring, formally and informally is one the most significant ways in which we flourish - and often fast track our progress – personally and professionally. Westminster University have put in a lot of time and attention to developing a programme which gives students a real opportunity to boost their clarity, confidence and to gain access to the kind of mentoring that will help stand them in good stead as they move forward in their lives and careers. As a coach, mentor and speaker I'm pleased to help play my little part in helping some of our emerging talent as they progress in their lives and work."

National Mentoring Consortium• National scheme for Home / EU Black, Asian,

Minority Ethnic students

• Nov – May

• One-to-one in-person meetings

• Meet for 1 – 2 hours once or twice a month, often at mentor’s workplace

• Also encouraged to keep in touch with mentor by email, telephone or Skype

Last year’s mentors

• HM Treasury

• BT

• Department for Work and Pensions

• Metropolitan Police

• Barclays

• HM Revenue & Customs

• Crown Prosecution Service

• Department for Transport

Typical activities & support

• Work shadowing / office visits

• Training events

• Job search, application advice and interview practice

• Coaching in professional etiquette

• Workload planning / priority setting

NMC Mentor and Mentee of the Year

.…has been an outstanding mentor, helping her mentee to develop her self-confidence and networking skills through a variety of training and work experience opportunities, always with a high level of encouragement, support and structured reflection.

….has embraced all aspects of the NMC scheme, working closely with her mentor to develop a stretching plan of what she wanted to achieve and persevering to reach her goals.  She has developed strong, collaborative relationships with both her mentor and other mentees, often proactively seeking out ways to support them along the way.

PG/MBA International Mentoring Programme

• Non-EU Full-Time Postgraduates/MBAs in their 1st semester

• 3 months long: January – March or April – June

• 1 meeting per month

• Each meeting is approximately 1 hour long

• 1-to-1 in-person meetings between mentee and mentor

• Students are encouraged to try to keep in touch with their mentor over email and telephone (and Skype).

Aims: PG/MBA International Mentoring Programme 1. To help provide international Postgraduate/MBA students with an

insight into the British working context and the issues surrounding graduate employment, through in-depth discussions with their mentor.

2. To offer an opportunity for experienced professionals to share their career experiences and knowledge with Postgraduate/MBA students who may wish to venture down a similar career in the future or to move up the corporate ladder.

3. To help provide students with the opportunity to critically analyse their strengths and weaknesses and reflect on the learning they have achieved from undertaking the mentoring through active and reflective learning.

Preparation ….

• Quick Query CV Appointments: all students are expected to take the time to update their CV and to attend an appointment with a Careers Consultant at the Career Development Centre.

Matching Process• It’s important to ensure that there is a clear match between the

mentor & the mentee

• Common Criteria: employment history, hobbies, beliefs or nationality

• Successful mentor-mentee match?

• “If I said that I won the mentor's lottery, it's not an exaggeration” (Hend AbdelHalim, Autumn 2013 mentee).

Mentor’s Qualities

HR Business Partner, 10yrs experience

“ She's well experienced, welcoming, patient, helpful, approachable and resourceful. She positively supported me, and had a serious impact on my future career goals as well as her advice towards the change of my dissertation topic” (Hend AbdelHalim, MA Human Resource Management, Autumn 2013 mentee).

Mentoring Topics – plan!

• Link to your University modules and dissertation topic

• Enquire about the graduate labour market and interviews– realistic and unbiased perspective

• Create a career plan and job search strategy

How bad can a mentoring session go?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZo6GYBdirs

Student view on Mentoring

https://sites.google.com/a/my.westminster.ac.uk/wbs-oer/study-skills/pg-mentoring

• FLUID Diversity Mentoring Programme – for groups under represented in the built environment sector

• John Schofield Trust Mentoring Scheme – for young journalists

• MentorSET – for Women in STEM• Shell-livewire – online support for young entrepreneurs• Laamiga Women’s Mentoring and Training – for migrant

and refugee women• Professional bodies

And don’t forget….• Existing colleagues, family and friends

Example external organisations

Using mentors you already have

From Lion King: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7PlTaawfQ

From Karate Kid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N-R9fVkG6I

The Perfect Mentor or Mentee

• Brainstorm in groups the characteristics of a ‘perfect’ mentee/mentor and illustrate these on the flipchart paper.

• For example, a mentor/mentee may have big ears because they are a good listener.

Thinking beyond the job title

…and place of work!

How might you benefit from having the following as mentors:

•Business coach?

•Marketing Officer?

•Magazine Editor?

Lone Working • As you will have unaccompanied 1-to-1 meetings with your

mentor, both of you mentor will be classed as LONE WORKERS.

• It is important for you take the necessary safety precautions in order to minimize any risks or hazards occurring.

• Meet your mentor in a ‘low-risk’ environment: mentor’s workplace, coffee shop, library or University.

• Do not meet your mentor at your / their home (‘high-risk’ environment).

Confidentiality • It is important to remember that conversations (and any

other forms of communication, including emails) between you and your mentor are based on trust and should be considered as confidential.

• Confidential information may include:

- Contact information

- Professional information

- Personal Information

• Do not breach your mentor’s confidentiality … TRUST!!

• Discuss the importance of confidentiality and the terms of this with your mentor.

Commitment

• Ambassador for the University

• Mentoring is a two way process

• You get out what you put in

• Expected to be organised, professional, reliable and punctual

Golden Rules For Getting Ahead

• Know yourself

• Set your goals

• Focus on results

• Update your skills

• Make your voice heard

More Golden Rules

• Take responsibility

• Be committed and flexible

• Develop useful contacts

• Take risks

• Behave like a winner

How does mentoring work?

• Review your own development needs

• Develop a learning contract with your mentor

• Key objectives for each meeting

• Reflective learning log

Mentoring Planning

• Respect your mentor’s time and other priorities

• Plan around your (& their) busy times

• Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound)

What do you want to achieve from mentoring?

Your action plan

• What are you aiming for?

(Your career goals)

• What is your current situation?

(What skills / knowledge / experience do

you have and where are the gaps?)

• How could a mentor help address these gaps?

Finding out more…..

Career Development Centre / NMC

http://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/current-students/support-and-facilities/career-development-centre/mentoring

BET PG/MBA International Mentoring Programme

http://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/faculties/business/courses/business-experience-team

Evaluation

….How was it for you?

Career Development Centre Services

1-to-1Guidance

E-Advice

Vacancies& Events

InformationResources

Volunteering

EmployerEvents

Talent Bank

AssociatesIn Schools

Mentoring

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facebook.com/uowcareers

twitter.com/uw_careers

blog.westminster.ac.uk/careers

Slides are available

www.slideshare.net/cdcwestminster

 

Contact usHarrow

Harrow Campus

Room EG.16

Maria Hewlett Building

Nearest tube: Northwick Park

Central London

Cavendish House

1st Floor

101 New Cavendish Street

Nearest tube: Warren St/ Goodge St/Gt Portland St

Tel: 020 7911 5184E-mail: careers@wmin.ac.uk

www.westminster.ac.uk/careers

In summary • Mentoring can address a variety of

developmental needs at any stage of your career

• Mentors can help from a range of backgrounds and experience (not necessarily sector specific)

• Requires careful planning, evaluation and reflection

• Only works with trust, confidentiality, commitment and professionalism