Three simple steps to starting a mentorship

Are you interested in having a mentor to help your professional journey? In this blog, we’ll break down the three main steps to getting started and how using the SET MentorMe platform can help you achieve your goals. 

What is a mentor? 

A mentor is someone who uses their knowledge and experience to help guide a mentee towards their career ambitions. With a focus on personal development, a good mentor can provide impartial advice and ensure a mentee’s career is challenging and fulfilling. 

How a mentor can help with your goals  

Mentorship becomes more meaningful when you have a career goal in mind or want to overcome a specific challenge. Professional goals can include many things, such as; overcoming knowledge or skills gaps, clarifying career choices, or simply helping you to achieve a better work-life balance.  

How to find a mentor 

If you think you’d benefit from having a mentor, we recommend using the SET MentorMe platform, exclusive to SET members, designed to make it simple for Further Education (FE) and Skills professionals to be matched to the right mentor for their goals.  

The platform also has a meeting function so you can easily arrange video calls, host meetings, set agendas and record meeting notes.  

Using MentorMe: three simple steps to mentorship 

If you want to start an effective mentorship, use the platform to work through these three simple steps: 

• Step one: fill in your profile 

The first thing to consider is what you might be looking for from a mentor, so when you fill in your profile on the platform, be specific. The more carefully you consider what skills and experience you need from a mentor, the better the match will be. 

• Step two: prepare for your first mentor meeting 

Once you have been matched with a mentor, you can use the needs-analysis tools on the platform to prepare you for your first mentoring conversation. This includes the SWOT tool to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, and the GSTAR tool, to identify Goals, Situation, Thinking, Actions and Results. 

• Step three: set goals together 

Once you have completed your needs analysis, use the MentorMe goal-setting tool with your mentor to set yourself Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound (SMART) goals. This will give a real purpose to your mentoring relationship and help you to achieve your future career goals.  

Make the most of your mentorship 

As well as getting one-to-one advice from your mentor, don’t forget to use the extra resources on SET MentorMe; it’s packed with videos, guides, and checklists to support you through the mentoring journey.