6 ideas for mentoring meetings
We have created this template for mentoring meetings at the request of past participants. Its purpose is to help you get started in mentoring and to help you understand what kind of issues and topics could be addressed in mentoring.
Please remember that the topics and contents of the meetings shown below are only examples! Mentoring is an individual process and the topics discussed are always based on the individual needs and goals of the actor.
More possible topics for mentoring meetings /en/career-design-lab/topics-for-meetings
Template for mentoring meetings
Before the meeting (actor):
- Go through the material from the mentoring programme briefing session and the Tips and Tools for Mentoring website.
- Reflect on what are goals for mentoring are
- Go through the checklist for the first meeting
Before the meeting (mentor):
Go through the materials from the mentoring programme briefing session.
At the meeting:
The following points should be discussed at the meeting:
- The actors goals and aspirations for mentoring
- Mentor's goals and aspirations for mentoring.
- The duration and frequency of the meetings
- The person(s) responsible for scheduling the meetings.
- Agreeing on topics that will at least be covered.
- Basic rules for discussions (confidentiality, openness, off-limits, etc.).
- Identification of possible problems
- Any specific concerns that should be raised at this stage.
- How will we know if the objectives of the mentoring have been achieved?
- Other issues
The most important thing is that you discuss the issues. If necessary, you can also write things down. At the very least, it is a good idea to write down the objectives you have set for the mentoring.
By focusing on your own inherent strengths, you will build a sustainable career based on meaningfulness, well-being and performance. There is a difference between skills and strengths. Skills are learned, while strengths are inherent and important ways of thinking and acting. Everyone has their own strengths. Focusing on your strengths rather than your weaknesses empowers you and helps you achieve your goals. So know your limitations and develop your skills, but focus your energy and time on your strengths.
Before the meeting (actor):
By doing a VIA strengths mapping, you get a list of 24 strengths. The first 3-7 strengths on the list are your core strengths. We all have all 24 strengths on the list. Some are just more specific to us and we use them more than others.
At the meeting:
Reflect with your mentor
- how are your core strengths reflected in your studies, work and everyday life?
- How could you make more use of them?
- What do your core strengths say about the issues and principles that are important to you?
Using your core strengths will give you energy and increase your well-being. You can also pick out one strength from the end of your own list that you would like to strengthen and use more in the future.
Reflect with your mentor
- where could you use this strength?
So you can practise using all your strengths, but the key to a sustainable career is to use and strengthen the core strengths that are innate to you
Materials/links:
/en/career-design-lab/build-on-your-strengths (VIA Character Strenghts Survey)
To think about the future of your career, you need both knowledge and creativity. Keep an eye on what's happening in the world of work in general and in your sector in particular. With a mentor, you can discuss what job opportunities are available to you. Even if your career goal seems clear, it's worth challenging yourself. Maybe you haven't heard about all the opportunities yet. Maybe your future employer does not yet exist. Maybe you're setting it up yourself.
Think about your future with an open mind. Think big. Imagine many alternative futures. This will allow you to look at your future from many different perspectives, to use your creativity and intuition, and to forget critical thinking for a moment.
Materials/links:
There is much public debate about strains of knowledge work. Discuss with your mentor how you can avoid or reduce this burden. Many aspects of working habits, time management and stress management apply to both study and work life, and can be practised.
Materials/links:
/en/career-design-lab/prepare-for-the-future-of-work
You can't control the future of work, but you can prepare for it. Career design is a creative problem-solving approach to planning your career. From a career design perspective, there is no single right career solution. There are many different options that work!
Uranarratiivi on työkalu, jonka avulla voi jäsentää kokemuksiaan, ymmärtää itseään ja rakentaa työuralle mielekästä suuntaa. Voit kirjoittaa (tai vaikka piirtää) oman narratiivisi ja jakaa sen mentorisi kanssa. Pohdi kriittisesti sitä, miten erilaiset mallinarratiivit vaikuttavat elämääsi ja tulevaisuuden pohdintoihisi.
The career narrative is a tool to help you structure your experiences, understand yourself and build a meaningful career direction. You can write (or even draw) your own narrative and share it with your mentor. Think critically about how different model narratives affect your life and your reflections on the future.
Materials/links:
/en/career-design-lab/design-your-career-0
Before the meeting (actor)
- Go back to the objectives set at the beginning of the mentoring session and the entries in the learning diary
- Prepare to give feedback to your mentor
At the meeting
In the final meeting, you should go through the following points
- Did you meet your expectations and objectives?
- What did you learn and understand?
- Giving feedback from both sides
- Agreeing on possible follow-up meetings
The mentoring programme will officially end in June. The mentor and the actor can decide between themselves whether to continue mentoring or to stay in contact after the end of the programme itself.