What is a Mentor?

Throughout the years, the term mentor has come to mean more experienced person who helps guide, support, and counsel a less experienced person through the world of work. Mentors share their experience and expertise with a mentee to assist them in their career development and planning. Mentoring is not just teaching or counseling - it involves fostering a mentee's relationship with a person of experience and helping them prepare for the future.  A mentor should be one level above the mentor in the new field of interest of the mentee.

Mentor Rewards

Mentors gain insight while working with mentees who are entering their field of expertise or interest. They also participate in the personal and professional growth of those participants that are just entering or have been in the profession for a period of time. They make positive contributions to their mentee's learning experience when they share their knowledge and experience. Mentors also have an opportunity to learn from their mentees and to test their thinking. Listed below are some of the reward opportunities for mentors:

• Contribute to the social and professional development of a mentee
• Reflect on your own career, summarize your journey, and formulate your views on success in business
• Spend time with the mentees who are full of passion and energy
• Gain a fresh outside perspective
• Influence the next generation of business leaders
• Get an inside track to recruiting talented HR professionals
• CPHR members can earn up to 10 CPD hours per year for participating in the program

The Value of Mentoring

Many successful professionals have had a mentor influence their career. Mentors are role models who guide and encourage protégés. Mentoring relationships facilitate the protégé’s growth both personally and professional as a business professional.

Role of the Mentor

• Be available to the mentee and attempt to understand his/her needs
• Work with the mentee to identify obstacles and collectively determine how these will be overcome
• Facilitate the establishment of goals-encouraging the mentee to determine what those goals should be
• Mentor, coach and guide the menthe, but refrain from telling them what to do
• Create a comfortable learning environment for their student
• Challenge protégé to explore career paths and assumptions
• Be accessible and respond to mentee in a timely manner
• Set clear boundaries-identify any areas of confidentiality at the outset of the relationship
• Indicate their preferred method(s) of communication and what response time the mentee can expect when they initiate contact 

What previous Mentors had to say about the program:

"I found being a mentor to be a very rewarding experience."
"I am reaffirmed of my commitment to continue mentoring others and supporting the development and collective body of knowledge within the HR community."
"I have gained as much, if not more, from the young, up-and-coming HR professional that I mentored as they have from me."

The application deadline for the 2017-2018 Professional Mentorship Program has passed. 
Applications for the 2018-2019 program will open in June 2018. Stay tuned!