Tips for getting the most out of ACS Mentoring Program

17 Jun 2022

Mentoring Matters! 

  • Mentorship plays a key role in helping us advance ourselves at work and climb the corporate ladder, but it's only effective if the mentor-mentee relationship is a good match. 
  • A mentor is someone you’ll be working closely with; creating trust and open communication from the beginning is crucial to the success of any mentorship.
  • How do you get the most out of that relationship?
Here are some tips for you in getting the most out of the ACS Mentoring Program:

1) Think about your goals and objectives. Think about your communication style and the preferred style of your mentor/mentee and sort out the logistics for meetings. 

Before you get started, think about what you want to get out of the relationship – even better if you can articulate these into the SMART goal(s). 

You and your mentor should set up some ground rules and establish a big picture goal and outcome for your sessions. This goal should be decided together to ensure you’re both on the same page. Without a goal, you won’t know how much progress you’re making, and you may feel like you aren’t getting enough out of your mentor relationship. Explore the possibilities of doing the things that scare you. 

Learn as much as you can about your mentor until they no longer scare you.

2) Respect each other. Come to meetings prepared. Give your mentor feedback.

The best mentor-mentee relationships are built on trust. Mutual trust ensures that you both feel comfortable letting your guard down, knowing that sessions are held in confidence. Respect each other on a personal and professional level and respect each other’s time. Be punctual to your appointments and try to stay within the time limit you’ve established. Respect each other’s boundaries so that neither party feels taken advantage of. 

3) Spend time with your mentor. Be honest with your mentor. Have your mentor observe you in action if possible.

Your mentor is there to help you, and they truly have your best interests at heart. Be 100% honest and 100% open to feedback. You should feel comfortable enough to fully open up and not hold anything back with them.

4) Give as well as get. Ask your mentor about his/her goals.

You can learn from each other! Don’t be afraid to share advice. It’s not overstepping or crossing any boundaries; it’s simply taking your relationship another step further. Being able to both give and take will enhance the relationship for both parties and will take your mentor-mentee relationship to the next level. Build your network.

5) Be curious and step out of your comfort zone.

Remember, your mentor is there to help you succeed. This may mean that they have to give you some tough love or advice that’s hard to hear. Be gracious and know that they are doing this to help you! It’s not easy to receive criticism but coming from a mentor it’s meant entirely to help you accomplish your goals.

6) Keep a record of your mentoring sessions (date, time and where) for your CPD hours inclusion.

*You will need to log in to your ACS membership portal to access the ACS Learning Accelerator short courses. At the completion of each course, you will receive a Certificate and CPD hours when scored a minimum of 70% on the test.

*Some tips are adopted from Forbes.com - a series on Mentorship written by Ashira Prossack. 

Volunteer to Be a Mentor 

Members help members! Share your professional experiences and knowledge with ACS members who have a need in their profession life. 

Our next round of Mentoring program will start in Aug 2022, and you can click here to apply for the next round mentoring program. Please contact ACS Canberra Branch acs.canb@acs.org.au if you are interested in being a mentor/or mentee.

 

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