Consider the following tips to taking full advantage of mentoring offered to you.
- Learn what you can about your mentor beforehand – read through their bio and information.
- Remember that mentoring is a process, so look through your list of activities or steps to ensure you have an overview of how your time with your mentor will be organized.
- Be punctual – always arrive a few minutes early to a meeting, whether virtual or in person.
- Try and uncover some common interests with your mentor, such as sports, places you’ve traveled, movies, or music.
- Be open and share. Talk about your successes and failures.
- Listen patiently. It’s hard in the fast-paced world to listen carefully, but make a concerted effort.
- Be open to learning new things from your mentor – and remember learning is a two way street.
- At the end of a meeting, summarize your discussion and confirm the next meeting or step.
- Don’t forget to take notes in your Journal. If it’s not written down, how will you be able to remember what you have learned?
- Enjoy being mentored. You will get a lot out of what you put in.
These tips were provided by our friends at MentorEase.