mentoring scheme
Purpose
Mentoring is a powerful personal and career development tool that can enable the mentee to achieve or exceed their life’s goals and aspirations. The mentor’s primary role is to provide career guidance and support to the mentee. The mentor will use his/her extensive knowledge of industry and community to help the mentee understand the current situation and to plan future aspirations. This will all be based on the mentee’s unique developmental needs.
Expectations
There will be a number of expectations that mentees will have to meet:
- Mentees must take the initiative in corresponding with their mentor and arranging mentoring sessions. Mentors are voluntarily giving their time and energy to provide advice and guidance so treat them with all due respect.
- Mentees must attend at least one mentoring session with their assigned mentor. You must be punctual for mentoring sessions. If you are going to be late or need to rearrange, notice needs to be given in advance.
- If your mentor is not responsive over email, please let Aziz staff know so they can get in touch with them.
- If, for whatever reason, the mentoring scheme is unsuccessful, mentees may request an alternative mentor. However, they must give the reasons why the arrangement has not worked out.
- Termination of mentoring arrangements can occur with the agreement of both the mentees and mentor.
Role of the Mentor
The mentor will serve as a positive role model and at different points in the relationship they will:
- Share knowledge and life experiences
- Give advice and guidance, share ideas, and provide feedback
- Share information on “unwritten rules for success” within environment/organization
- Act as sounding board for ideas/concerns about career choices; provide insights into possible opportunities
- Be a source of encouragement/support. Listen. Inspire.
- Identify resources to help mentee enhance personal development and career growth
- Expand the mentee’s network of contacts
- Discuss goal setting
- Advise on professional development
- Help to develop leadership skills
Boundaries
- Mentors will agree with the mentee how they wish the relationship to work.
- The confidentiality of the client remains paramount at all times. At no time will a mentor disclose any part of the relationship to any person whatsoever, without the explicit agreement of the mentee.
- Either party may dissolve the relationship at any time throughout the period of the mentoring relationship.
Mentoring Scheme Application Process
Scholars who wish to request a mentor will have to go through the following process in order to be eligible for the mentoring scheme:
- Submission of a 150-word statement outlining why you require a mentor, how they will help you in your professional development, and what, generally, you are seeking in a potential mentor. Please email your statement to scholarships@azizfoundation.org.uk
- Submission of a signed pledge, committing you to take the initiative if you are matched with a mentor. This includes initiating correspondence and arranging mentoring sessions.
- Mentees are expected to attend at least one session with their mentor (NB: meetings are usually once a month). You can download the pledge here.
- If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a 15-minute interview, exploring questions around your application/statement.
- If you are successful at the interview stage, you will be listed with other potential mentees.
- Once a match is found, both mentor and mentee will be asked to sign the mentoring agreement.
- The mentoring scheme is for scholars only.
Please note that being admitted to the scheme does not guarantee that you will be assigned a mentor. This is subject to availability.