RMIT Career Mentoring

2022 Mentee Manual

 Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi

wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern
Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands we conduct the
business of the University. RMIT University respectfully
acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present.

RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and

their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia,
where it conducts it's business.
Welcome!
We are thrilled that you have chosen to be a part of our
growing RMIT mentoring community!

As an RMIT mentee, you now have access to one of the largest

and most unique career mentoring programs in the nation.

With RMIT's strong links to industry, both locally and globally,

you have the opportunity to explore and develop your career with
experienced industry leaders and professionals, who have
volunteered their time to become RMIT mentors.

Our program links you to mentors with common professional

interests, and in many cases, mentoring partnerships formed
through our program can lead to enduring professional
relationships.

This mentee manual is a resource to give you all the information

you need to participate as a mentee in the program. Be sure to
spend some time browsing through the manual, and if questions
arise as you read through it, please be sure to reach out to our
team. We are here to assist you in any way.

Warm regards,

The RMIT Mentoring Team

mentoring@rmit.edu.au
 “Mentoring was an amazing
experience. I truly feel I have made
a positive difference in my mentee’s
career and by default, her life.”
Louis Salguero, RMIT Mentor

Your Mentee Profile

Now that your application to join the program has been accepted, it’s time to
make sure your mentee profile is complete.

Your mentee profile is a bit like a LinkedIn profile. It helps mentors to find out more
about who you are, what you are studying, and your career goals and interests. Spend a
few moments reviewing your profile. Have you completed each profile section? Have
you added a profile photo?

Be sure to also include your mentor preferences in your profile, such as, what field you
would like your mentor to be experienced in, your main career interest or area of study,
and your long-term career goals. The more complete your profile, the more tailored and
relevant our mentor recommendations to you will be.
How to be a succesful mentee
A good mentoring relationship is professional, equal and
non-judgemental – recognising that both the mentee and mentor can
grow from the experience. As our program links you to mentors with
common professional interests, there is always scope for sharing and
reciprocal learning.

Here are some quick tips on how to be

a successful mentee in your mentoring relationships:

Ask relevant Keep a log of

questions and draw discussion points
upon your mentor's for each session
expertise

Be humble and Show appreciation

willing to accept by thanking your
feedback from your mentor for their
mentor generosity

Work on the agreed Reciprocate by

tasks and plan ahead sharing knowledge
for future mentoring with your mentor
sessions with your
mentor
 "I feel more confident after attending the
masterclass and good to know that there
are many people who share the same
inhibitions towards mentors as I do."
Savannah, RMIT Mentee

Mentoring Masterclass
with Josh Farr

We know that reaching out to an industry mentor can sometimes feel a bit
daunting, which is why we've teamed up with Josh Farr from Campus
What mentees are saying...
Consultancy to deliver this bespoke Mentoring Masterclass for new mentees!
100% of mentees said 100% of mentees said
they felt more confident they would recommend
This masterclass aims to increase your confidence as a mentee by identifying: in reaching out to the masterclass to
Why you have become a mentee mentors after attending a friend or classmate
What potential barriers may prevent you from starting a mentoring partnership the masterclass
What skills, mindsets, and knowledge you can develop through a mentoring
partnership

You will also discover: Click below to book into the next available Mentoring
How to build rapport with a mentor Masterclass with Josh!
What the role of a mentor is and how a mentor can help you
How a mentor can support you to achieve your career goals Book here
What you can do to prepare for a mentoring meeting
How you can build and maintain your mentoring relationships If you don't see any available Mentoring Masterclasses, check back next month!
Finding a mentor
Now that your profile is complete, it’s time to find a mentor!

Once you have logged in to the mentoring portal, click the ‘mentors’
button on the left-hand panel of your screen to start browsing the
community of mentors.

The mentor profiles that appear at the top of your list have the greatest
compatibility percentage with your own mentee profile, based on similar
profile fields; these are our mentor recommendations to you.

You can also browse by specific fields, such as, the mentor’s current
organisation, their main area of expertise, what areas they can give
guidance in, their location, availability, and more. To do this, simply click
the ‘all filters’ button at the top of your screen.

Use the 'all filters' button to search for

mentors based on their organisation, position
title, location, and more!

The algorithm places the most compatible

mentor profiles for you at the top of your list
when browsing the community of mentors

Mentors may not always be available for

different reasons, so we recommend refining
your search to include 'available mentors'
 Who are the mentors?
RMIT mentors are industry professionals who have differing levels
of industry experience – from recent graduates, to those with
extensive supervisory, management or leadership experience.

Whilst many of our mentors are RMIT alumni, other industry

professionals with the requisite experience have also become
mentors to support RMIT students.

Why do they join the program?

Mentors join the program for a variety of reasons, including to:

provide the guidance they sought when they were students

experience personal satisfaction from helping students develop
their careers
gain insights into the new generation’s perspectives
reconnect and establish mutually beneficial connections with
RMIT
develop their personal and organisations’ profiles among RMIT
students
connect with potential future employees and industry
professionals
help others to transition well and confidently into the global
workforce
further develop leadership, coaching, and communication skills
 Types of mentoring requests
Meetings vs partnerships
There are two types of mentoring requests you can send to a mentor; a meeting or a partnership request.

A meeting is a one-off connection, whereas a partnership is a longer-term, 3-month connection, where you will
typically have 3 meetings over 3 months.

You can send up

to 5 meeting or
partnership requests
and be connected to
up to 5 mentors at
Meeting Partnership any one time
(one-off) (3-month)

Meeting request Partnership request

Go to the mentor’s profile and click ‘connect’
Click ‘request meeting’
Enter a meeting ‘topic and description’ – here, you can introduce
yourself to the mentor and briefly explain why you would like to
connect with them
Propose multiple meeting times for the mentor to choose from
Select your mode of connection, e.g. video call, coffee catch up, etc.
Send through the meeting request and wait for the mentor to accept
Go to the mentor’s profile and click ‘connect’
Click ‘request partnership’
Add a personal message – here, you can introduce
yourself to the mentor and briefly explain why you would
like to connect with them
Click ‘send request’ and wait for the mentor to ‘accept’
 Josh Farr's templates

As part of the Mentee Masterclass, Josh Farr provides you with his own personal
templates he uses when he reaches out to potential mentors!

We have included these templates below as suggestions on what you could include in
a meeting or partnership request to a mentor.

Meeting request template Partnership request template

Dear <NAME>, Dear <NAME>,

I am a <INSERT YEAR> <INSERT DEGREE> student at
RMIT working towards the goal of <INSERT GOAL>.
With your experience in <FIELD>, I am curious how you
think about your career trajectory and how you
overcame any hurdles you may have faced.
I am a <INSERT YEAR> <INSERT DEGREE> student at
RMIT working towards the goal of <INSERT GOAL>.
With your experience in <FIELD>, I am curious how you
think about your career trajectory and how you
overcame any hurdles you may have faced.

Would you be open to meeting with me next week so I Would you be open to having a 3-month mentoring
can ask you a few questions about your journey? Are partnership with me?
you free on either <DAY1> or <DAY2> anytime that suits
you between <TIME1> and <TIME2>? I would be greatly appreciative of any time you can
spare.
I would be greatly appreciative of any time you can
spare. Kind regards,
<YOUR NAME>
Kind regards,
<YOUR NAME>
Example meeting request Example partnership request
Dear Sunita, Dear Andrew,

I am a 3rd Year Marketing student at RMIT working towards the goal of I am a 1st Year MBA student at RMIT working towards the goal of
securing my first marketing role. With your experience in marketing at becoming a management consultant. With your experience in
Deloitte, I am curious how you think about your career trajectory and how consulting at McKinsey, I am curious how you think about your career
you overcame any hurdles you may have faced. trajectory and how you overcame any hurdles you may have faced.

Would you be open to meeting with me next week so I can ask you a few Would you be open to having a 3-month mentoring partnership with
questions about your journey? Are you free on either Thursday or Friday me?
anytime that suits you between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM?
I would be greatly appreciative of any time you can spare.
I would be greatly appreciative of any time you can spare.
Kind regards,
Kind regards, Pradeep
Stephanie
 Mentoring requests
Accepted, declined or expired

Once you have sent through your meeting or partnership request, the mentor will receive an email
notifying them and will have 10 days to either accept or decline the request.

If the mentor has not accepted your request within the first 3 days, they will receive a second email, reminding them of
your pending request. If the mentor does still not accept your request within 10 days, your request will expire.

Whilst we ask that our mentors respond to all mentoring requests in a timely manner, sometimes requests will expire.
If this happens, we encourage you to continue browsing the community of mentors and reach out to different
mentors, as you can always try contacting the same mentor again at a later date.

Please note, expired requests are not a reflection on you! Requests can expire for a number of reasons, such as the
mentor is going through a busy period at work, or perhaps they have gone on holiday and forgot to update their
availability in the mentoring portal beforehand.

_
Set a goal
Throughout your journey in the program, you have the opportunity to build an extensive network of industry
connections.

Set a goal for how many mentors you would like to connect with in the next month, 3 months, 6 months, etc.

For example, if your goal is to have 8 meetings or partnerships over 12 months, it's helpful to know beforehand
that you will most likely need to reach out to around 10 - 12 mentors to achieve this goal.
Preparing to meet your mentor
The Mentee Quick Guide, found in the Mentee Resource Libary, has been designed
to help you plan and prepare for your one-off meeting or first meeting of your
3-month partnership.
The guide provides you with ideas and topic areas to discuss and work on with your mentor.
You might also like to discuss some of the following topics with your mentor:
Your mentor’s experience and career progression
What has been your mentor’s career story to date?
What does your mentor’s day-to-day work involve?
How has training or further study developed your mentor’s career?
What would your mentor have done differently?
How has your mentor’s work role changed over time?
What are your mentor’s long-term goals?
What have been the key challenges in your mentor’s career?
Career opportunities
What do employers in your field expect of new graduates? On the job
How does remuneration in your field compare with other fields/
careers?
What further training may advance career options in your field?
What kinds of knowledge and skills are most needed as a
graduate in your field?
How do your strengths compare with those required for your field?
Securing a job
What are the most effective strategies for gaining employment in your
field?
Where are jobs in your field advertised?
Where can you find out about employment options that are not
advertised?
How can you optimise the content, formatting and resumé and cover
letter for a job in your field?
What is the best way to approach prospective employers? What is the
typical format for an interview in your field?
What is the structure of your mentor’s organisation?
How would your mentor describe their organisation’s culture?
How does your mentor’s organisation convey goals and objectives to
staff?
How would your mentor describe a typical day or week on the job?
What does your mentor like or dislike about the work?
What are the main misconceptions people have about the work or role?
Modes of connection
There are many ways to connect with your mentor.

One of the more popular connection methods is via video call, as the
mentoring portal has an inbuilt video call functionality. However, you
might choose to schedule your video call externally to the mentoring
portal, via Zoom, MS Teams, or another video conferencing platform.

If you and your mentor are both located in Melbourne (or the same city),
you might like to meet up for a coffee at a mutually agreed upon location.

When meeting face-to-face, you might like to buy your mentor

a coffee. It's a small gesture but will leave your mentor feeling valued
and appreciated!

Additional connection methods include messaging back and forth within

the mentoring portal, an exchange of emails, a phone call, or you might
even receive an invitation to meet at your mentor's workplace.

From a meeting to a partnership

Whilst having a cup of coffee or video chat with your mentor for a one-off
meeting, and the meeting is going well, you might like to discuss with
your mentor about continuing the connection in a 3-month partnership.

It is best to have this discussion with your mentor towards the end of your
meeting or follow up with them soon after the meeting has taken place
to ensure you are both on the same page, as not every mentor may
be available for a 3-month mentoring partnership.

If both parties agree, reach out to your mentor again in the mentoring
portal, however, this time request a partnership!
 Thanking your mentor
After your one-off meeting or first
meeting of your 3-month partnership:

Thank your mentor and summarise learnings:

“Thank you <MENTOR NAME> for meeting with me today. I really

resonated with what you said about <INSERT TOP TOPIC>. Thank you
for asking about <WHAT YOU SHARED ABOUT> and for sharing
<WHAT THEY SHARED ABOUT THEMSELVES>. I am excited to
READ/WATCH/RESEARCH <RESOURCES THEY MENTIONED>.”

Re-confirm the next touchpoint (if you’re aiming to meet again):

“I look forward to speaking with you again via <ZOOM/PHONE/ETC.>

on <INSERT DATE> + <INSERT TIME>.”
Set up the first//next partnership meeting in the mentoring portal. You
might also want to share a calendar invite with your phone number on
the Zoom link, etc.

Establish expectations:

”Before we meet again, I will <INSERT YOUR COMMITMENTS>. Is

there anything that you need from me before our next catch up?”

Tips:
Send the thank you message within 12-hours of the meeting
SPELL CHECK and proofread
Send from a professional/student email account
 Ensuring success in your mentoring partnerships
To ensure you and your mentor get the most out of your mentoring
partnership, discussions should be structured around the
aforementioned topics or any additional topics you both agree on.
Here is an example of how you could structure your mentoring
discussions within your mentoring partnerships:
Discussion 1: getting started and establishing rapport
Discussion 2: industry insights and preparing for the job market
Discussion 3: career planning and skill development
Remember to show appreciation, reflect, and wrap up with your mentor.
Plan your discussion topic in the first meeting to identify topics of
importance, set tentative dates, and record the agreed schedule.
Ensure that each discussion has a pre-determined structure and topics
that follow on logically from previous meetings.
Program communication
The RMIT Mentoring Team is available at all stages of your mentoring
partnerships to guide you on various discussion topics, your mentoring
relationships with mentors, and other issues. Regular communication to
all mentees will occur via email.
To ensure success in your mentoring partnerships, it is
important to regularly review the mentoring relationships.
Address the following questions with your mentor:
Is the mentoring relationship working?
In what ways is the relationship (not) working?
Why is the relationship (not) working?
Are you both benefiting from the experience?
Are expectations being met?
Can your mentor relate to your journey?
Are there any challenges the partnership is facing?
How can these challenges be overcome?
Are there ways to enhance the experience?
Post-partnership survey
Once you complete a 3-month mentoring partnership, we ask that you
complete the short, post-partnership survey sent to you. The
information will be collected to determine the success of your
partnership, plan further program developments, and assess the
longitudinal impact of mentoring on students’ employability.
Expectations of mentees
The RMIT Career Mentoring program’s code of conduct mirrors
professional business interactions. Therefore, both parties are
required to:

Show respect, reliability and dedication

Maintain confidentiality of matters discussed where relevant
Respect and commercial and/or non pecuniary interest in each
other’s business
Respect each other’s intellectual property
Declare any potential conflict of interest to the RMIT Mentoring
team
Remember that mentors are volunteers and are not entitled to
any payment by a mentee or by RMIT University
Always demonstrate professional etiquette to your mentor
Ask the RMIT Mentoring team is you are unsure of your
obligations

You are also required to:

Be proactive in advising your mentor about the guidance you

need
Prepare in advance for each mentoring discussion
Be open to challenges and developing your knowledge and skills
Keep all meetings with you mentor or reschedule in advance if a
meeting cannot proceed
Advise the RMIT Mentoring team if a problem arises
Respect other participants’ views, experiences, and
backgrounds
Share your own views, experiences, and backgrounds wherever
possible
_
Contact us
mentoring@rmit.edu.au
_
Connect with us
www.linkedin.com/in/rmitmentoring/