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Career Mentor Scheme
Mentor Guide June 2020 – November 2020
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Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ Page 3 Career Mentor Scheme Overview ........................................................................................................ Page 4-5 Key Points to Remember ......................................................................................................................... Page 6
Mentoring Graduates ………………………………………………………………………................................................Page 7-8 Mentoring International Students …………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 8 Mentoring skills and benefits………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 9-10 Scheme Structure .................................................................................................................. …………Page 11-15
1. Getting to know your mentee ...................................................................................... Page 11-12
2. Staying in touch with your mentee ................................................................................... Page 12
3. Setting objectives and Action Planning ………….………………………………………………………..Page 13-14
4. Support and dealing with difficulties in the mentoring relationship………………................Page 15 5. At the end of the scheme………………………………………………………………………………………….....Page 15
Career Mentor Scheme contact details……………………….……………………………………………………………..……Page 15 Appendix.. ........................................................................................................................................ Page 16-23
A. Top Tips – Enhancing Employability .................................................................................... Page 16-19
B. Skills Development Activities .............................................................................................. Page 20-22
C. Learning styles: Approaches to Learning (VARK)…………………………………………….………………Page 23
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Introduction Thank you for joining us as a volunteer mentor on the Career Mentor Scheme. The time and energy you put into this scheme will be a fantastic help to improve the employability and career prospects of our mentees, giving them confidence and improving their skills to realise their true potential. The impact that mentoring has on the employability of our mentees is key to improving their confidence, commercial awareness and personal skills required to help them develop their career plan. The purpose of this guide is to help you develop as a mentor and to provide you with tips and guidance to help your mentee over the 6 months of this scheme. It covers what we feel career mentoring is, the ways in which we hope it will benefit both mentor and mentee, and then takes you step-by-step through the scheme. We have also included a 6-month action plan to help you make the most of your time on this scheme. For new mentors, and those who would like to recap on their knowledge, we have put together “New Mentor Career Mentor Scheme Training” PowerPoint, which can be accessed through our resources webpages. The password for the training is “exetercms”. Thanks again for your support and enjoy the scheme! Career Mentor Scheme Team
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Career Mentor Scheme Overview
About the Career Mentor Scheme Our mentors are a mix of alumni and non-alumni, who are based in the UK or overseas, and cover a range of sectors and professions. Mentors volunteer to support a mentee by providing invaluable insight and advice into their career and sector via email, telephone, or Skype/video call at least once per month for the duration of the scheme. (Please note that due to Covid-19 we ask that you do not meet in person at present). Mentees are current students or recent graduates who apply to the scheme and are successfully matched with their chosen mentor. Mentees are provided with training before being introduced to their mentors, as well as having access to ongoing support from staff.
Scheme Timeline
February – May 2020 Mentor opportunities are advertised to students and recent graduates from 24th
February 2020.
March - May 2020 Mentees are selected. Mentee training takes place
June 2020 Mentor and mentee are introduced via email
Mentoring month 1
July 2020 – October
2020
Mentoring months 2 – 5
November 2020 Mentoring month 6 - Partnerships end and participants contacted for feedback.
What is career mentoring? Career mentoring is an increasingly popular tool for supporting personal development. Traditionally, mentoring provides support, guidance and advice. In the workplace it has tended to describe a relationship in which an experienced colleague uses their greater knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of a more junior colleague. For the Career Mentor Scheme, it is about alumni and friends of the University supporting current students and recent graduates in their career development. Career mentoring is:
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A professional relationship
A partnership lasting over a pre-determined and fixed time-scale
Honest and supportive
One-to-one
Confidential (within appropriate boundaries)
Something which encourages learning and development
Focused on expanding the mentee’s horizons and thought processes and developing their decision making skills
Focused on building the mentee’s personal and professional development
Career mentoring isn’t:
Direct sponsorship
Always task focused
A case of doing the work on behalf of the mentee
A case of making decisions on behalf of the mentee
Therapy for personal issues
A tutor/student relationship with the main focus on producing an academic outcome
A friend/friend relationship with the main focus on personal development outside of work. As such, we respectfully ask that you avoid making any social media (Facebook, Twitter etc.) connections with your mentee during your official six-month partnership. Connecting on LinkedIn is perfectly acceptable. Naturally, should you wish to continue your relationship after your mentoring partnership has come to a close, then you are absolutely at liberty to do so
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Key Points to Remember:
Contact with your mentee – After they have attended a training session in March-May 2020 you will be introduced to your mentee via email in June 2020. Your mentee should then make contact with you within one week.
Meetings with your mentee – Wherever possible you should try to communicate with your mentee at least once a month during the six months although further meetings are encouraged. Due to Covid-19 you should not meet your mentee in person (unless government advice regarding social distancing changes, in which case this will be reviewed by the mentoring team and communicated to all mentors and mentees.) All other in-person meetings which arise through the mentoring should also be avoided (e.g. networking events, work experience).
Setting objectives and action planning – Soon after your initial contact, your mentee should set the objectives that they wish to achieve by the end of the scheme and complete the six month action plan to ensure that they meet these objectives. Your mentee should show you their objectives and action plan so that you can amend/agree as necessary.
Confidentiality - Please remember the need to keep information discussed between you and your mentee confidential. Your mentee understands this too and has also been told about the importance of commercial confidentiality.
Keeping in touch – Please feel free to contact the Career Mentoring Team if you have any questions during the scheme. If you are experiencing difficulties in contacting your mentee, please let us know and we will do our best to help.
Feedback and evaluation – We would very much appreciate your cooperation in completing our feedback form at the end of the scheme. We really value your input as it helps us to keep improving our scheme.
If you have any questions, please contact the scheme staff at: [email protected] or on 01392 722034
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Mentoring Graduate Mentees – Information for Mentors
From November 2018 the Career Mentor Scheme opened to recent graduate mentees, in addition to
current student mentees. Graduates are eligible to take part in the normal six month schemes for up to
three years after graduation. We feel that graduates can benefit greatly from the support and guidance of
a Career Mentor.
If you are mentoring a graduate, they may be in one of the following situations:
Graduates who are looking for a change in career:
Many of our fantastic graduates go on to wonderful opportunities when they leave Exeter, but this is not
to say that their graduate job is going to be within the profession or sector that they want to be in for life.
As we all know, practice is not always the same as theory, and sometimes our graduates might feel that
after a while in their first job, they want to look for something completely different. Speaking to a mentor
who works in their new preferred sector, and who has possibly been through a similar transition, is of
great value to a graduate who is looking for a fresh start and is not quite sure how to achieve it.
Graduates who are looking for career progression:
Depending on the route they have taken after graduation, some graduates might find it difficult to
progress on from their initial graduate role. This might be due to a lack of opportunities within the
company they work for, a lack of personal confidence, or lots of different reasons. Whatever the situation,
having a mentor who can guide them through the process of where to look for progression opportunities
and how to draw on the skills they have learned since graduating, can be really beneficial in helping a
graduate to take that next step.
Underemployed graduates:
Sometimes, our graduates find themselves in roles after graduation in which they are gaining experience
of the working world, but not necessarily realizing their full potential. Although these jobs are often great
temporary measures, of course we want the best for our graduates and having a Career Mentor could be
instrumental in helping a graduate to secure an opportunity in the area which really interests them, and
which allows them to fully develop their skillset.
Unemployed graduates:
Unfortunately, occasionally our graduates will struggle to find employment after graduation. The graduate
job market is a challenging place and some graduates will really benefit from the guidance of a Mentor to
help them successfully break in to the world of work. These graduates may be less sure of the direction
they want their career to take, so in these circumstances some more general careers support around CVs,
application forms and interview techniques may be required.
Graduates who are looking for support as they transition from student to working life:
As our graduates start out on their career, and get used to the ways of the working world, they may
appreciate the help of a mentor to encourage them and help them develop the new skills that they
require.
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Some key considerations for working with graduates rather than students:
1) If a graduate is already working, they are likely to have a less flexible schedule than a student. This
may mean that organising meetings will need to work around both your mentee’s schedule, as
well as your own very busy one. It may be that an early evening, or weekend mentoring session is
required.
2) Graduates may (or may not!) be a little more experienced in life and in work than students, so
may have different contributions to make towards the conversations and activities that you
undertake together depending upon their experiences of the working world. You may find that it
is helpful initially to spend some time with your graduate mentee talking about the experiences
they have had thus far, so that you can use this to shape your mentoring activity with them in
order to best help them progress to where they are hoping to get to next. We hope that these
conversations will prove to be fruitful and interesting but if you have any concerns at any point,
please contact the Career Mentoring Team on [email protected] or on 01392
722034.
Mentoring International Students - Signposting
Here at Exeter we are really proud of our international student community, and we are thrilled that so many of our international students choose to take part in the Career Mentor Scheme. A challenge that we know many of our international students face is that of obtaining a working visa in order to begin their graduate career in the UK, after their studies at Exeter have come to an end. This is not something that we expect our Career Mentors to be able to advise on or help with, however there are services at the University who can support with this, should your mentee bring it up with you. We would recommend that you signpost your mentee to the International Student Support Office (ISSO) webpages, where they will find information about working visas, as well as contact details for the ISSO team. The ISSO webpages also have information on language study support, if your mentee has expressed that they would benefit from additional English language study.
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Mentoring Skills Some key mentoring skills include:
Encouraging personal reflection.
Giving constructive feedback and advice.
Demonstrating active listening.
1. Reflection Example prompts to encourage reflection:
What was good or bad about the experience?
Are there any ethical/ moral/ social issues that you want to explore?
Is there something you need to do next?
Is there something that you would do differently next time, given a similar situation?
2. Constructive Feedback Tips for providing constructive feedback:
Encourage them to reflect first e.g. “How do feel about the way you dealt with…”
Be specific
Offer advice on how to improve e.g. “You might like to try…”
Balance negative with positive
End on positive
3. Active Listening Tips for practising active listening:
Clear your mind of distractions
Make eye contact
Be aware of body language - pay attention to the mentee’s facial expressions, gestures etc.
Use questioning techniques such as ‘how did that make you feel?’
Ask open ended questions
Paraphrasing – restating in your own words to check understanding
Ask questions if you don’t understand
Be non-judgmental
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Mentoring Benefits Benefits of a mentoring partnership for mentors:
To gain an insight into current student life
To use and develop your information, advice and guidance skills
It is a good opportunity to give back to the University
To work with someone with a fresh perspective
To learn about a different culture
To hear about news regarding the University
To reflect upon your own achievements and career path
Voluntary experience for your CV
To develop your communication skills by working with someone you wouldn't usually be in regular contact with
Benefits of a mentoring partnership for mentees:
Knowledge of a specific organisation, job role and sector
Access to a source of careers guidance and perspective
An opportunity to reflect and be challenged
Access to networks and an awareness of how to make new professional contacts
Increased confidence and self-esteem to further their career development
Enhancement of existing employability skills and an opportunity to acquire new ones
Increased knowledge of work experience and internship opportunities in their chosen sector
An awareness of the current job market/corporate culture
Increased knowledge of job hunting resources
Confidence in making a successful job application
Access to a source of tips on how to make the transition to their first job easier
Knowledge of further study options, professional qualifications and professional bodies
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Scheme Structure
1. Getting to know your mentee You will be introduced to your mentee via email in June 2020, shortly after they have attended an online training session. Your mentee is expected to take the lead in contacting you soon after. Your mentee has been provided with the table below which aims to provide a number of suggestions for your discussions during your first mentoring session. This will help you to get to know each other and establish your mentoring partnership. For more ideas, please visit the Resources for Mentors section on the Career Mentor Scheme webpage.
Discussion Topics Notes
About the Scheme:
• Aims (purpose of the scheme) • Structure (setting your objectives and 6-
month action plan) • Frequency and method of contact • Location and duration of meetings • Confidentiality (commercial and personal and
exceptions)
About you:
• Degree course • Interests • Societies • Career aspirations • Previous work experience (voluntary work, paid
work, role in societies) • Achievements
About your mentor:
• Education • Career history • Current employer • Typical day at work • Skills used in their work
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Potential topics for future discussion:
• Job hunting techniques and sources of relevant
vacancies • CVs/covering letters/application forms • Relevant reading (e.g. industry magazines) • Professional bodies • Networking groups/events • Personal/professional boundaries • Skills required for the workplace, and how to
begin developing these as a student/continue developing them as a graduate
• Sector requirements • Work experience • Typical work activities • Good/bad aspects of profession
2. Staying in touch with your mentee Due to the current situation with Covid-19 we ask that you (and any of your contacts that you provide to
your mentee) do not meet with your mentee in person. All meetings should be conducted online or via the
telephone. If government advice regarding social distancing changes substantially throughout the course
of the scheme, the Career Mentor Scheme will be in touch with any updated guidance, however please
wait to hear of any scheme updates before making arrangements with your mentee.
Sadly we have also had to take the decision not to hold a Meet Your Mentor event for this round of the
scheme.
We recommend that mentors and mentees stay in contact at least once per month for the duration of the scheme. Contact can be made via any of the following methods: email, telephone, Skype / other video call. Agree on the duration of each meeting in advance, and try to stick to this where possible. We will provide you and your mentee with each other’s mobile phone numbers, so that you can contact each other at short notice if last minute changes need to be made to an agreed meeting. Where possible please let your mentee know in advance if you will be away for a substantial period of time and unable to answer emails or to take calls. You may find the University Term Dates useful in order to have an idea of where your mentee may be based (i.e. at home or at University) during certain points in the year. You should expect that your conversations with your mentee will remain confidential, for both what you share with your mentee and what they share with you. This applies to any personal details and experiences that you share with each other. In addition to this, the mentees will be conscious of the importance of Commercial Confidentiality. It is possible that you will choose to give access to sensitive information and documents from your company and work. The mentees will not share this information with anyone else and should act with discretion at all times. There may be some extreme situations in which confidentiality should be broken. This would generally be in the case of one party having serious concerns that the other is a danger to themselves or to others, or that there is a likelihood of a serious crime being committed.
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3. Setting Objectives and Action Planning
All mentees have been asked to identify a list of objectives that they wish to achieve by the end of the six-month scheme. We have asked the mentees to complete their own six-month action plan and include the topics and activities they would like to cover with you. Mentees have been provided with the following list of common objectives to get them started but we would expect that they will also have objectives of their own: Job Hunting Objectives
Increase my knowledge of job hunting resources in this sector (e.g. web pages, printed materials and recruitment events)
Increase my knowledge of effective application forms in this sector
Increase my knowledge of effective interview techniques in this sector
Increase my knowledge of finding internships and work experience in this sector Personal Development Objectives
Improve my personal development skills (e.g. confidence building, listening skills)
Improve my knowledge of further education/professional courses related to this sector
Sector Related Career Objectives
Widen my contacts and networking opportunities
Increase my knowledge of sector entry requirements
Increase my knowledge of good/bad aspects of the profession
Receive work experience/job shadowing (not offered by all mentors)
Receive help to improve my CV Once the mentees have selected their objectives and completed their action plan (like the one below), we have asked them to share this with you so you can agree what can be achieved in the scheme timeframe.
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We have put together an extensive list of online Resources for Mentors, with tips and links to many mentoring support materials, to help you help your mentee to achieve their scheme objectives.
4. Support and dealing with difficulties in the mentoring relationship
Month Objective Actions By Who? By When? Notes
June 2020
Establishing your mentoring relationship.
Negotiating and agreeing mentee’s set objectives and action plan.
You will be introduced to your mentor after you have attended the scheme training.
You should set your objectives and 6-month action plan. Share with your mentor so they can agree and negotiate if necessary.
July 2020
Aug 2020
Sept 2020
Oct 2020
Nov 2020 Evaluate partnership. Complete online evaluation form sent by the university
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All mentees are provided with training before the start of the scheme on what is expected of them, and how to make the most of your support. However, if the case arises that you feel unhappy with the behaviour of your mentee, we advise you take the following steps:
Access support on the Career Mentor Scheme webpage, see Mentor Frequently Asked Questions.
If appropriate, speak to the mentee about your concerns. Remember they may not be aware that their behaviour is unsuitable, as this is a new experience for them.
If for any reason you feel you cannot approach the mentee directly, please contact the scheme staff at [email protected].
Similarly, if you feel that the mentee is experiencing any serious personal problems, the University has a number of agencies concerned with personal welfare that we can refer mentees to. There is a website dedicated to providing support to mentees, with details of these agencies. You may refer them to this website but please do get in touch with us if there are any serious problems.
5. At the end of the scheme
We would be grateful if you would complete a final evaluation form at the end of the scheme, which helps us to improve the scheme for the future by tracking the impact of the scheme as well as find out what needs to be improved. You are welcome to send updates and feedback along the way to the scheme staff at: [email protected]
Career Mentor Scheme Contact Details
Email: [email protected]
Address: University of Exeter Career Mentor Scheme, Employment Services, University of Exeter Forum, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4SZ
Jo McCreedie, Employer Liaison Officer (Manager of Internships and Mentoring) [email protected]
Sarah Hood, Student Employment Support Officer (Mentoring) (Part-time Mon – Weds) [email protected]
Rebecca Lenthall, Student Employment Support Officer (Mentoring) (Part-time Tues - Thurs) [email protected]
Abigail Smith, Student Employment Support Officer (Mentoring) (Part-time Thurs & Fri) [email protected]
Appendix
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A. Top tips – Enhancing employability
Topics Four topics will be explored: 1. Commercial Awareness
2. Networking
3. Communication Skills
4. Career Management
1. Commercial Awareness
Being commercially aware involves having a deep understanding of the internal and external environment in which a company operates. It can help people: • make better decisions
• generate more ideas
• solve problems more effectively
• to lead a team with greater insight
• make successful contributions to an organisation’s strategic aims
Top tips for Commercial Awareness 1. Ask mentees to keep their eye on similar industries as yours
• Highlights key influences and challenges that might affect your organisation/sector
• Ask them to read about your industry using the following sources: Trade press, professional
bodies, conferences and exhibitions, the internet and social media
2. Encourage mentees to keep up to date with changes in society
• This can help highlight the future trends in society that might affect your organisation/sector
• Ask your mentee to look at relevant published information by think tanks and polling
organisations, which can provide information on demographic composition and current opinions
on possible future trends
3. Encourage mentees to maintain their awareness of the economic environment
• By enhancing your mentee’s awareness of current economic conditions (if they are not fully clued
up already) and expected changes to the economy, you will help enable them to anticipate any
potential impact upon your organisation and the sector they are interested in
• You can point them to relevant sources of information: Financial press, television, newspaper
business and finance sections
4. Ask your mentee how they think your organisation is perceived
• Asking how your mentee (and perhaps their friends) perceive your organisation can help identify
some of the challenges it faces from a fresh perspective
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• You could provide your mentee with relevant sources of information about your organisation, or
ask them to track it through relevant media and industry coverage
2. Networking
Networking is a great way for mentees to make potential future professional contacts, meet potential future employers, share and gain knowledge, ideas and expertise to help them build a professional profile. Top tips for Networking
1. Supporting your mentee before a networking event
• Ask them to identify their purpose before the event - do they want to develop their career, meet
new clients/collaborators, and broaden their horizons?
• Encourage them to be proactive – ask them to set a stretching, but achievable target to remain
proactive (e.g. ‘I will attend two networking events next month’)
• Encourage them to join a professional networking site - Online networking sites such as LinkedIn
can add a lot of value to their networking strategy
2. Supporting your mentee at/before a networking event
• Help your mentee to practice the perfect introduction – perform introduction role play/encourage
them to think about what to include in their introduction (including their name, subject of study,
past work experience, why they are at the event)
• Encourage them to ask engaging questions - Depending on your mentee’s reason for networking
and the purpose of an event, you may wish to practice/ask them to think about the sorts of
questions they could ask someone to enhance the conversation. For example: What’s your
connection to the event? What brings you here? What keeps you busy when you’re not at work or
events like these?
3. Communication Skills
Communication is an essential part of everyday life and is of course present throughout business activities, including coaching, negotiating, influencing, making presentations and giving feedback.
Top tips for Communication Skills
1. Encouraging effective listening
Encouraging your mentee to develop active listening is important for interviews as it shows the
speaker their message is being both received and fully understood
Ask your mentee to think about:
Decoding the language they hear, as well as the language they see, i.e. body language
Being on the alert for any hidden messages, or a gap between what is said and what is
genuinely felt by the speaker
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Ask questions to clarify points they do not understand, and checking to see that they have
received the message correctly
2. Developing interpersonal skills in your mentee
Practice communicating key messages - in a role play interview/presentation, ask your mentee
to consider the following:
Being clear on their key message
Think about what their audience wants to hear
Understand what impact their message will have
Think about what questions could arise
Practice their non-verbal communication – in a role play interview/presentation, ask your
mentee to think about the impact of their body language including: Posture, hand gestures and
expression.
4. Career Management Skills
These are the methods used to get a job (CV, cover letter, application form, and interview) and the essential skills needed to manage your career. Top tips for Career Management Skills
1. Helping your mentee prepare for interviews
Ask your mentee to think about how they would answer interview questions (e.g. practice STAR
approach activity)
Suggest the following points to help them throughout an interview situation:
Preparation - familiarise yourself with: the job description, prepare answers to standard
interview questions and think about the areas they are likely to question you about
On the day - arrive at least 10 minutes early so you have time to compose yourself
During the interview – listen carefully to the questions, speak clearly and don’t use
jargon, be aware of your body language, don’t dwell on the negatives, ask them
questions
2. CV – tips and proofreading - what to look for
There are certain details that should be on a CV:
Personal details
Work history
Education and qualifications
Skills
Hobbies/interests
Tips for writing a CV
Tailor the content
Don’t overcomplicate
Market yourself
Be relevant
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Make sure the writing is easy to read, clear and engaging
Think about the layout, in some industries ones side of A4 is the standard, while in others
two sides is also acceptable.
References
3. Application forms – tips and proofreading - what to look for
If possible, ask your mentee to complete a test job application form for your organisation
Encourage them to identify skills from all aspects of life – work experience, voluntary work,
hobbies, involvement in clubs /societies, coursework
Talking up skills – e.g. “Researching dissertations which involved rapidly researching and
assessing the currency and reliability of unfamiliar material using sources such as electronic
databases, books and interviews”
Do the essential background research
Match skills, qualifications and personal qualities to the job description and person
specification
Use company website (products/services, brochure/annual report)
Attend careers fairs / employer presentations
B. Skills Development Activities
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1. Commercial Awareness – The PESTLE analysis
PESTLE analysis (Political factors, Economic influences, Sociological trends, Technological innovations, Legal implications, Environmental factors) is a strategic tool that helps organisations to explore/anticipate external influences on their organisation or department from several perspectives. It can be used to review a strategy or position, the direction of the organisation/area of responsibility, a marketing proposition, or future business and product development initiatives. A thorough PESTLE analysis should comprise the following stages:
Identification – What external factors have a potential impact on your organisation/area of
responsibility?
Verification – Which factors are more likely to have a real impact on your organisation/area of
responsibility? Have you missed anything?
Observation – Which of these factors are having the most significant impact right now?
Projection – Which of these factors are likely to increase/decrease in importance over the next
few years? What other factors might arise that you have not yet considered?
Planning – What actions can be undertaken as a response to these factors, both current and
potential future ones?
Implementation – Undertake action to counter the adverse effects of the appropriate/relevant
factors.
Ask your mentee to conduct a PESTLE analysis of your organisation (or choose a different well-known organisation) which will allow them to develop their commercial awareness skills. You may need to help your mentee by providing information/resources if necessary. Finish by talking through their answers to explore their analysis.
2. Networking - Analysing your network
This exercise demonstrates a simple technique designed to help you understand your network more precisely and learn how to shape it more fully to advantage your career. We would ask that you encourage your mentee to use their LinkedIn account to analyse their network and the network of their connections to assess which contacts are potentially of interest. Encourage them to use a personalised invite and not to just connect with no message, it makes a difference. Suggest contacts within your network that may be useful to your mentee's career aspirations. To help you identify potential contacts, consider:
Sources of power (e.g. those with decision-making accountability, knowledge and contacts)
Sources of expertise
Potential advocates (e.g. key players that the majority hold in high regard)
Go down the list and mark the role your contacts are likely to play in your mentee's career management (for example they might be a source of information, know of job vacancies, or have numerous useful contacts). Note how close the contact is to you in another column (1 signifying an immediate contact, and 3 a more distant contact).
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Name Role How Close (1-3)
Where next?
3. Communication Skills - Are you a good listener? This questionnaire is a personal inventory of listening skills which will help your mentee identify their listening strengths and weaknesses. Ask your mentee the below questions and tell them to respond by simply answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’, as appropriate. Add up the 'yes' answers and 'no' answers. When you have finished, review the answers, particularly those statements where they answered 'no'. These identify any areas where they have had consistent feedback that they may need to improve their listening skills. Based on the information from the questionnaire, ask your mentee to develop an action plan for addressing areas needing improvement.
1. When you are listening to someone, do you try to separate out the verbal and non-verbal
messages?
2. Do you look for what the speaker is not saying or for any hidden agendas?
3. Do you ask questions to clarify anything you do not understand or to check that you have received
the message correctly?
4. Do you reflect your understanding back to the speaker with both verbal and non-verbal actions?
5. Where you agree with the speaker, do you try to make that support known?
6. Do you give any speaker your full attention for the duration of his/her speech, even when you are
not especially interested?
7. Do you try to keep an open mind and try to push to the back of your mind any opinions you might
already have on the subject?
8. Do you take notes to assist recall?
9. Do you reflect the speaker’s body language?
10. Do you wait until the speaker has finished before reflecting on the subject matter or formulating
questions?
11. Do you look at the speaker and try to make eye contact?
12. Do you encourage the speaker, for example by saying “Go on …” or “Tell me more”?
13. Do you try to develop empathy with the speaker?
14. Do you avoid filling silence if the person with whom you are speaking does not immediately
answer a question?
15. Do you reflect feelings back to the speaker?
16. Do you avoid saying: “I know how you feel”, even in situations where you have gone through a
similar experience?
17. Do you focus your attention on the individual with whom you are communicating, rather than on
yourself?
18. Do you try to avoid any signs of restlessness, such as crossing and uncrossing your legs, looking at
your watch, gazing out of a window or yawning?
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19. When you are reflecting on a long conversation, a speech, a presentation or a meeting, can you
generally remember most of what was said?
20. Do you find that colleagues and friends like to talk things through with you or use you as a
sounding board?
4. Career Management Skills - The STAR approach
Mentees are encouraged to consider the STAR approach when answering questions in an interview or on an application form.
The STAR approach (Situation, Task, Action and Result) can be used to answer situational questions on an application form or in a job interview e.g. “Describe a time when you…..” or “Give an example of…..” It’s a bit like a mini essay. The Situation and the Task are usually combined and form the introduction. The Action you took, should form the main body of your answer, and the Result should be your conclusion – try to be as specific as possible e.g. “we raised £400 for charity”. If you failed to achieve your objective say what you learned and what you would do differently next time. Here is an example:
STAR EXAMPLE ANSWERS
Situation How, when, where, with whom?
Whilst employed at Weaver Bros. last summer
Task Describe the situation or the task you were faced with
I was given the task of rationalising the stock control system
Action What action did you take?
I would look at factors such as when the stock was last ordered, what it was used for and how often it was used. I worked out a method of streamlining the paperwork involved in this process and redesigned the relevant forms, which I then submitted to my manager.
Result What results did you achieve / conclusions did you reach / what did you learn from the experience?
My ideas were accepted and implemented and a 15% reduction in stock levels was achieved
Examples are used to answer these types of questions from a range of situations, not just from academia e.g. vacation or part-time work, university clubs and societies, voluntary work, holidays and travel, personal and family experiences, etc. The focus of these examples should be on the individual – even if the situation involved a group, and interviewers will want to know what the individual’s specific role was in achieving the desired result.
C. Learning styles: Approaches to Learning - (VARK)
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It is important to remember that everyone prefers to learn in different ways. It can be useful to identify the way that you and your mentee learn best and to try and take this into account when you are working together. Test your learning style here: http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/ V: Visual people with a strong visual preference for learning like: Different formats, space, graphs, charts, diagrams, maps and plans A: Aural people with a strong aural preference for learning like: Discussions, stories, guest speakers, chat R: Read-write people with a strong read/write preference for learning like: Lists, notes and text in all its formats, whether in print or online K: Kinaesthetic people with a strong kinaesthetic preference for learning like: Senses, practical exercises, examples, cases, trial & error
Copyright Version 7.1 (2011) is held by Neil D. Fleming, Christchurch, New Zealand.
