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It is normal to feel a little nervous when you are meeting your mentor for the first time. The following are some suggestions for your first meeting, be it face-to-face, on the phone, or online:
- Jot down a few discussion ideas before your first meeting. Keep adding to your list as you better understand what you can gain from your mentor.
- Share something about your personal background and interests, such as how you got interested in a particular field/major, where you are from, and life balance issues.
- Demonstrate interest in your mentor’s career. A few questions you might want to ask are
- Why are you interested in mentoring?
- How did you choose your college/field?
- What do you consider your greatest strengths?
- Agree on ground rules about how often you will communicate, how quickly you will be able to respond, and what level of confidentiality is expected.
- Complete the Setting the Ground Rules questions.
- Set up a date for your next meeting or phone call.
Guidelines for Mentoring Success | Starting Your Relationship-A Mentor's Point of View
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