Getting started

Whether you want a mentor or want to be a mentor, the first step is to speak to your Line Manager, Director, Head of Department / School, or colleagues. This way you can find out about existing or potential mentoring opportunities within your area.

Considerations before becoming a mentor or mentee

Whether you're considering becoming a mentor or mentee, it is beneficial for both parties to gain an understanding of the key things to consider before getting started.

As a Mentor, you should consider:

• What can I offer as a mentor?
• What particular expertise or areas of experience do I have to share?
• What experience do I have of being a mentor?
• What skills can I support a mentee with?
• What information do I know about the university culture that I can share?
• Am I prepared for mentoring?
• How can I introduce myself?
• What information do I want to learn about a mentee?
• What ground rules do I think need to be agreed?

As a Mentee, you should consider:

• What do I need from mentoring?
• What would I like to achieve? What are my goals? How will I know if I have achieved them?
• Why do I want a mentor? What support would I like from a mentor?
• Would that support be internal to my area, somewhere else in the university or external?
• What ground rules do I think need to be agreed?
• How would I describe myself?
• What are my strengths?
• How do I personally define 'success'?
• What do I find challenging or frustrating?

Considerations when deciding if the mentoring relationship is right

Preparation will be key in building and maintaining the relationship.  With any new mentoring relationship, prepare for the initial discussion so that you get to know each other to be able to know if the relationship is right.

As a Mentor, you should consider: 

• How you will introduce yourself and the relevant detail regarding your career and experience.
• Checking whether the mentee has any particular questions
• Sharing the ground rules you would expect from the mentoring relationship
• Suggesting the mentee speak to other mentors before making their choice
• Preparing any questions you have / want to ask to find out more about the mentee -

For example: 

• What is their current situation?
• What are their current strengths and development opportunities?
• Are their goals clearly defined?
• Why do they want from mentoring?
• In which area(s) do they want guidance?

As a Mentee, you should consider:

• Speaking to a few mentors, and choosing the one you feel will be the best fit
• Setting up and diarising a suitable time and venue with possible mentors
• Preparing any questions you have / want to ask
• Sharing the ground rules you would expect from the mentoring relationship
• Introducing yourself, what your goals are and what you want from a mentor
• If you have agreed the relationship is right, have you booked the next meeting and venue?

Further Resources

Mentoring seeks to enable you to reach your potential by linking you to the support of an experienced colleague.  Your Line Manager, Director, Head of Department/School or colleagues may also be able to offer their insight from previous experiences or help you to find out about existing or potential mentoring opportunities within your area.

There are some local mentoring initiatives in place across the University to support staff and students on a variety of topics, including career goals, research grants, navigating life changes and more. Each mentoring scheme offers something different, and we have included a snapshot of live University mentoring schemes below:

Mentoring Scheme	Who can participate?	Open to mentees?	Open to mentors?	How do I find out more?
Faculty of Medicine Mentoring Scheme	All FOM colleagues, PGR students and clinical academic trainees	Yes	Yes Also open to mentors outside of Medicine	Have a look at the SharePoint Site Email: medmend@soton.ac.uk
Electronics and Computer Science Mentoring Scheme	All ECS colleagues	Yes	Yes	Email: dask1n11@soton.ac.uk
Mechanical Engineering & ISVR Mentoring Scheme	All staff and PGRs in Mech Eng and ISVR	Yes	Yes	Email: isvr@southampton.ac.uk Email: mecheng@soton.ac.uk
Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences Mentoring Scheme	All FELS colleagues and ECRs	Yes	Yes	Email: felsmentoring@soton.ac.uk
School of Humanities Mentoring Scheme	All Humanities colleagues	Yes	Yes	Email: h.spurling@soton.ac.uk
Centre for Higher Education Practice	Available to everyone: Gaining fellowship of Advance HE through CHEP PGCAP or CHEP PREP Applying for a National Teaching Fellowship or Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence	Yes	Yes	Email: CHEP@soton.ac.uk
Student Career Mentoring Programme Annual scheme from September	All staff are invited to be mentors	Open to students and graduates	Yes- open to all staff from all industries and no experience required	Have a look at the SharePoint site Email: mentoring@soton.ac.uk
Library Staff Mentoring Scheme	All Library Staff	Yes	Yes	Have a look at the SharePoint site Email: l.r.e.marr@soton.ac.uk

If you know of any existing opportunities or schemes within the University that we can promote through these web pages, please email the details (including School/Department and a contact email address) to Leadership & Management Development

For additional resources on mentoring, visit:

Good Practice - log in using your University email address

LinkedIn Learning - Recommended bitesize audio course 'How to build a secret circle of mentors’. Adapted from the Modern Mentor podcast, the course identifies six types of “secret” mentors—people who can teach you critical skills from afar.

Pocket Books