Mentor FAQ

The FoS Mentoring Program benefits students by teaching them skills in professional communication, teamwork, project management and leadership.

We believe this program will also increase mentors’ personal fulfillment and satisfaction in sharing their knowledge within their field of profession.

No. You are not required nor under any obligation to find a job for your mentee.

Please contact Carrie Selin, Science Engagement, at carrie.selin@umanitoba.ca for more information regarding the FoS Mentoring Program.

We welcome alumni and industry mentors from a breadth of sectors. We are looking for vibrant industry professionals to share their business experience with undergraduate students, thereby helping to guide students to a brighter future with consistently successful outcomes upon graduation.  We also ask that you abide by the University of Manitoba Respectful Work and Learning Environment code of conduct.

Note: Confidentiality is required in this program for both mentors and mentees.

You may apply online to be a mentor in the FoS Mentoring Program. You will be asked:

• To follow the instructions provided
• To upload your resume/CV
• Why you want to be part of the program
• To describe your main interests and goals

We ask information-gathering questions to determine your best match. Successful matches are key to a positive mentoring experience.

As part of the application, every student and mentor will fill out a questionnaire, gauging his or her availability, interests, and field of study/work. After the application has been processed, and an initial telephone conversation, if there is an eligible mentee, the applicant will be matched with a FoS undergraduate student who has been accepted to participate in the program.

• The next phase of the FoS Mentoring Program will go from September 2020– May 2021.
• We will offer a number of virtual events throughout the duration of the FoS Mentoring Program, such as an orientation/meet and greet, and other virtual networking events.
• We will facilitate the use of Skype or another suitable platform to be in contact with your mentee.  **Note due to Covid, all meetings will be virtual.
• While we would like student and mentor to meet as much as possible, minimally there should be a one-hour monthly contact between student and mentor. Students are responsible for contacting the mentor the first time. We will facilitate this relationship, as part of the success of a mentoring program is the development of your mentorship with the student.
• We will supply the mentor with an email link to keep a log of all student and mentor meetings and discussions.
• We invite the mentor to share their LinkedIn account while in the program and encourage highlighting their involvement on social media.

The program coordinator will contact you to provide the student’s name and contact information. There will also be additional summary information provided.  You will wait for the student to contact you!

The program coordinator will send an introductory email to the mentor and the student. It will be then be the responsibility of student to connect.

You may have a professional discussion with the student that includes topics such as:

• Career goals
• Networking
• Company structure and operations

We want the student and your experiences to be successful. The program coordinator will be available on a continuous basis to provide support and offer guidance, and will facilitate requests as they arise.