Mentoring provides development opportunities for mentors as well as great personal satisfaction. Being a mentor can improve your leadership skills and enable you to learn from alterative approaches and different ways of thinking. It can be challenging, inspiring and enlightening.
You don't have to be at the top of your profession to be a MentorSET mentor. Mentors should have a degree or equivalent and at least a couple of years working experience in the Science, Engineering and Technology sector. We are also be delighted to hear from would-be mentors with HR experience in the science/engineering/technology sector or with coaching backgrounds.
No prior knowledge of mentoring is required. Mentors can attend a free mentoring workshop and we will also cover travel costs to the workshop.
One mentor said that she had gained confidence by realising that she had knowledge and experience which was valuable to others.
Another mentor wrote: "I had a great sense of achievement seeing my mentee survive problems where I stumbled".
A mentor, working in a senior position, said that she had become more aware of problems within her sector.
The recruitment of good mentors is key to the success of the programme.
A mentor can be defined as an experienced and trusted adviser. The relationship between mentor and mentee should be personal and confidential, quite different and distinct from the relationship between superior and subordinate and without confidentiality the relationship is likely to remain superficial.
MentorSETs aim is to help women succeed in the area of STEM. We recognise that women often have to balance work and responsibilities at home. The issues hampering progress at work may not be work related. Therefore, we provide mentors who are able to help women to achieve a life/work balance, to return after a career break or, in the case of a mentor who has suffered illness, to help women to cope with the difficulties faced during a long term illness or disability. It for these reasons that we ask about life skills and career breaks on the MentorSET application form. Please think about experiences that you have had and are willing to share, if you have not already done so.
A good mentor will want to ensure that the mentee gains confidence and independence as a result of mentoring and is eventually able to go forward independently.
The mentor can provide coaching on interpersonal and organisational skills. Mentors can also provide a sounding board against which to bounce new ideas, clarify problems and suggest alternative working methods.
MentorSET mentors are volunteers. Mentors are not expected to help more than one mentee at a time, but we now have a number of mentors who have successfully helped several mentees in series and who are still supporting MentorSET because they enjoy helping others and have benefitted themselves.
If you would like to become a Mentor, please complete the MentorSET application form in the "MentorSET Application" section.