Mentor Duties

Mentors are enthusiastic senior engineer/researcher willing to share their experience.

Mentors are not:

Psychological/spiritual guides. Mentors are there to support the mentees but they do not have the essential qualities and expertise to act as a psychologist.
A collaborator or supervisor. The programme is intended to facilitate the transfer of some of the knowledge and experience from the senior professionals to the early-career professionals. It can be a bridge to further technical collaborations, but it is not the main goal.

Roles and responsibilities:

Support the mentee’s development of professional competencies through strategic questioning, goal setting, and planning.
Create a supportive and trusting environment.
Agree to, and schedule, uninterrupted time with your mentee.
Stay accessible, committed, and engaged during the length of the program.
Actively listen and question.
Give feedback to the mentee on his/her goals, situations, plans, and ideas.
Encourage your mentee by giving him or her genuine and positive reinforcement.
Serve as a positive role model.
Provide frank (and kind) corrective feedback if necessary.
Openly and honestly share “lessons learned” from your own experience.
Keep discussions on track.
Respect your mentee’s time and resources.
Participate in the scheduled events for the program.
Seek assistance if questions arise that you cannot answer.

Benefits from this experience as a mentor:

Personal satisfaction in helping someone grow professionally
Learning from the mentee
Building new relationships
Developing your skill as a “teacher” — helping someone clarify his or her career goals
Developing your skill as a “guide” — helping someone navigate the waters of the organisation
Developing your skill as an “advisor” — helping someone find his or her strengths and weaknesses