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Getting to know potential mentees

Getting to know potential mentees

Hooray! A new mentee has reached out to you. Are they the right fit for a long-term mentorship, or should you pass them on to someone else? Can you offer a one-off session instead? In this article, we’ll explore the tips and tools that will help you answer these questions.

Look for signs of long-term fit

The most common way to get mentored on MentorCruise is to apply for a long-term mentorship. Keep these questions in mind when evaluating the application from a potential mentee:

  1. Goal and timeline: Does the mentee have a clear goal in mind? What’s their desired timeline to reach that goal? Make sure you’re excited about helping them achieve the goal, and that the timeline is suitable for a long-term mentorship. If they’re just looking for quick advice on a specific topic, encourage them to book a one-off session with you instead. For example, if a mentee reaches out for help with an upcoming interview, you could say:
    2. If you’d like to, let’s do a mock interview this Friday, and I’ll give you some feedback to help you prepare for your interview next week! Feel free to book a session with me here: [Insert a link to your paid session] My mentorship plans are meant for working towards long-term goals. [Describe the long-term goals you typically help with] If this sounds interesting to you, let’s discuss how we can work together after your interview!
  2. Interest alignment: Are they looking to learn about topics that you’re familiar with? Mis-matched interests might be a sign that the mentee hasn’t put in the work to research and identify suitable mentors. It’s also possible they’re just feeling lost. Do what you can to point them in the right direction, or simply let them know that you can’t help them.
    3. I’m clear about who I am, and who I can mentor. I am a data scientist and I mentor other data scientists/analysts. I do not have experience navigating big tech companies. I also avoid mentoring engineers, because there are other mentors that are more specialized for this. - Data science mentor Raffaele
  3. Skill level: Has the mentee already taken some first steps towards their goal? Some mentees aren’t committed enough, or might be too early in their journey to start benefiting from mentorship.
  1. Expectations of the mentorship: Skill level and expectations often go hand in hand. A mentee just getting started in their journey might need a lot of hand-holding, while a mentee with some experience might only require high-level guidance. Ask the mentee what type of support they’re expecting from you, and see if that matches your mentorship style. If the mentee is new to the concept of mentorship and is not sure what to expect, share a few examples of how you can help them, and see if it resonates with them.

Experiment with communication tools

Mentees might contact you through applications or inquiries. Applications are designed to help mentees answer the questions we’ve listed above—all at once—and you can ask clarifying questions before accepting their applications. Inquiries tend to be less structured, and it may require some back and forth to gather the information that you need.

As you gain experience on MentorCruise, you might want to ask potential mentees to complete a task or fill out a worksheet during the application or inquiry phase. This can help you:

  • Evaluate if the mentee is willing to invest as much energy as you are
  • Gain a deeper understanding of their background, goals and challenges
  • Evaluate the mentee’s skill level to see if they’re ready for mentorships
  • Save time on routine Q&As
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What tasks, assignments, worksheets or forms do you use to make your communication with potential mentees more efficient? Contribute to our guidelines or head over to the #best-practices channel in our Slack community to discuss this with fellow mentors!