Starting Your Relationship-A Mentee's Point of View

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