“A mentor serves as a role model, coach, broker, and advocate. All of those defining roles require key characteristics to include a positive view of others, a reliable source.”


Who can participate as a mentor?
           
eMentoring provides all SPE professional members an opportunity to share their industry insight and practical career advice with young professionals or by helping university students with academic and career direction. 

Young professionals, who may be mentors themselves, can also participate as a mentee receiving guidance and early career planning from experienced professionals.
 

What is expected of a Mentor?

  • A six-month commitment, communicating at least one or two times per month through the eMentoring system, traditional email, mobile app, telephone, Skype, or on social media. Connect at your convenience and across time zones.
  • Your role as a mentor is to inspire, encourage, and support your mentee and to contribute to his/her professional and personal development.
  • Set aside time for the mentoring process and keep all scheduled appointments with your mentee.
  • Help your mentee take a proactive role in the relationship.  

What do mentors typically share with mentees?

  • Professional experience
  • Industry trends
  • Advice for defining and reaching goals
  • Job interview tips and resume reviews for students
  • Recommendations for additional education or development  
  • Academic guidance for students

Mentors do not typically provide mentees

  • Supplemental tutoring with school projects, papers, and research
  • Internships or job offers
  • Technical consultancy
There are many other SPE resources for young professional and student members on the SPE website at http://www.spe.org/ or by visiting the Resource Page on the eMentoring website at https://ementoring.spe.org/p/p1/resources.​​
 

How are matches made?

Both mentors and mentees begin the process by completing a profile.  Registered mentees can search by a variety of criteria, such as area of expertise, type of company, gender, and country. The eMentoring system will display a list of available mentors who closely meet the mentee’s requirements. After carefully reviewing the mentor profiles, the mentee will submit a request to the mentor of his/her choice. The mentor will receive a notification via email with a link that will allow him/her to log in to the system to access the mentee’s profile. After reviewing the mentee’s profile, the mentor will be able to respond by accepting or rejecting the request. 


Suggestions for Effective Mentoring

  • Keep in frequent contact with your mentee (one-two times per month).
  • Be inspirational
  • Be an active listener
  • Share similar experiences
  • Provide corrective feedback in an encouraging manner 
  • Demonstrate interest, helpful intent, and involvement
  • Establish rapport by showing a personal interest in  your mentee
  • Begin by focusing on your mentee's area of strength
  • Be available and keep your appointments
  • Hold your mentee accountable for commitments and goals
  • Continuously evaluate your mentoring and adjust your style as needed