A mentor is someone possessing expert knowledge and professional experience in a certain area, as well as the leadership skills necessary to impart this on others.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is a form of talent development by way of contact with successful professionals.
A mentor is someone who has more experience in a certain field, and who not only shares their skills and experience with their younger peers, but also helps them unlock hidden talents, and define their educational and career trajectories. Cooperation with less experienced peers helps mentors to better understand their own capabilities and limitations, as well as to create a network of like-minded people. For a young and ambitious person, such a programme can be likened to a ‘social elevator’.
A student taking part in the mentoring programme is someone who is seeking professional development in a certain area and who is keen to learn from their mentor.
Why is it a good idea?
A student who has a mentor not only has access to invaluable insights from someone in the industry, but also benefits from the boost to their motivation and self-confidence - essential for anyone pursuing a career or starting their own business.
This programme helps students to navigate the professional world as well as to consciously define their professional development and career trajectory.
A graduate who joins the programme as a mentor is not only involved in a socially important programme, they can also get inspiration from their mentees’ fresh ideas as well as insights from enthusiastic and intelligent students (reverse mentoring), and can even begin to build a talent pipeline for their company.
The mentoring programme can be considered a contribution to human capital development.
Mentoring at HSE
Mentoring at HSE is a programme aimed at developing students’ leadership skills and career potential with the help of graduates, who are successful professionals in their respective fields. Students can learn to anticipate the challenges of their future profession and set personal and business goals.
Graduates make the best mentors, as they are not only successful professionals who understand their industry’s cultural patterns, they also understand what it’s like to be a student.
Pairing graduates and students improves the efficiency of cooperation; it helps to avoid communication breakdowns; and facilitates mutual understanding thanks to common ideas of communication.
You define the cooperation
The mentoring programme can last as long as you like: from just one meeting to many years. The main aim is to get real benefit from the interaction.
Students choose their mentors
The students choose their mentors based on their professional area and the suggested options for communication and development.
Mentors decide what they can offer to the students
Each mentor offers their own options for cooperation.
With the exception of the initial orientation meeting, these options can be altered by the mentor and mentee.
Draw up your own plan
The mentor and the student draw up their own meeting and communication plan. Use the suggested options for maximum effectiveness.
Freedom of choice
We are willing to ensure the most effective cooperation between our mentors and students, so we offer a wide range of opportunities:
- Students choose their own mentor
- Mentors offer different types of cooperation (options)
- Plan for each ‘mentor-student’ couple is drawn up individually
Real results
To ensure mutual understanding, there are check-lists, mini reports, and tests to be completed. They won’t take long, but will help to outline the individual process.
Our principles
Trust
Freedom of choice
Responsibility
Flexible options for cooperation
Minimise formalities
Individual and mutual development
What’s in it for mentors?
Personal and professional development
Inflow of new ideas and inspiration
Opportunity to preserve and share experience and unique industry knowledge
Communication skills
Systematization of their own knowledge and skills
Recruitment of new and talented staff
Serious competitive advantage on the job market
What’s in it for students?
Improve the quality of their education
Better prospects for employment and career growth
Build confidence and gain an understanding of how to build their career
Understand the current job market
See positive examples of how to achieve goals and overcome difficulties
Enhance professional and soft skills
Networking