AnitaB.org Mentorship FAQ

Your profile is composed of one or more of these components: Basic, Mentor, and Mentee, depending on your mentoring role in the platform.

Basic Profile: A Basic Profile includes your name, status, a link to your LinkedIn profile, areas of interest, values, and a summary of your educational and professional milestones and career journey.

Mentor Profile: If you have designated yourself or been invited as a mentor, you will see a “Mentor” tab within your profile. This is where you can indicate your specific preferences for being a mentor, such as the number of mentees you are able to accept, your areas of expertise (also referred to as “Mentorship Areas”), the kind of mentee(s) you’d like to connect with, and what you expect out of your mentees. You can also specify questions you want prospective mentees to answer when they reach out to you for mentorship.

Mentee Profile: If you have designated yourself or been invited as a mentee, you will see a “Mentee” tab within your profile. This is where you can indicate your specific preferences for being a mentee, such as the areas of expertise you are seeking (also referred to as “Mentorship Areas”), and the kind of mentor(s) you’d like to connect with, and what you expect out of your mentors.

You can edit your profile from any page in the platform by clicking on the drop down menu next to your name in the top header bar. Toggle between the different components of your profile: Basic, Mentor, and/or Mentee. To edit one of the elements, select “Edit” in the top right-hand corner. Remember to save once you are done with your edits.

Intake Questions are questions that are posed to any prospective mentee that is seeking your mentorship. You will select your Intake Questions as part of your Mentor profile to ensure that you are able to select the mentees best suited for you. You can edit your Intake Questions by clicking on the drop down menu next to your name in the top header bar from any page. Once you are there, click on the “Mentor” tab and select “Edit.” Scroll down to “Mentor Questions” to add, remove, or edit questions.

You can personalize your profile to indicate what topics you are interested in learning about or what you have knowledge and experience in. This will help mentors and mentees know whether or not you are a good match for them. Mentees can also list the topics they wish to discuss when they are setting up a mentoring session. Mentors will then let them know whether or not they will be able to cover these topics in their session.

Mentors and mentees each have differently colored circles surrounding their profile photos. The combination of both means that the user is both a mentor and a mentee. You can directly access the list of mentors and mentees from the header.

Yes — like any skill, it may take time before you feel confident in this new role. However, just remember that this is an exciting opportunity for you to meet new people, and to help them feel more confident with their own skills. As a mentor, you will share your experiences and knowledge with your mentees, answer any questions they may have, and provide them with the support and encouragement they need. You might just learn as much from your mentees as they learn from you!

Click on “Mentors” in the header. You should see “Suggested Mentors” who are recommended for you based on the needs you expressed in your mentee profile. You can also click “All Mentors” to search for available mentors and filter based on multiple profile attributes. Choose the mentor you wish to connect with, then hit “Request Mentoring” to send a mentoring request.
After selecting “Request Mentoring,” you will be taken to a short online form where you will describe who you are, what you are looking for, your mentoring duration, and any additional information that the specific mentor wants you to provide while requesting mentoring.

Mentors will receive an email notification of your request, which they can accept or decline. If they accept, you can find them under “Mentoring > Current,” and can begin your private conversation.

Click on “Mentees” from the header. You should see “Suggested Mentees” who are recommended for you based on the needs you expressed in your mentor profile. You can also click “All Mentees” to search for available mentees and filter based on multiple profile attributes. Choose the mentee you wish to connect with, then hit “Offer Mentoring” to send a mentoring offer.
After selecting “Offer Mentoring,” you will be taken to a short online form where you will describe who you are and what you wish to offer the prospective mentee.

Mentees will receive an email notification of your offer, which they can accept or decline. If they accept, you can find them under “Mentoring > Current,” and you can begin your private conversation.

Your organization’s administrator determines the maximum number of mentors allowed for a mentee.

Your organization’s administrator determines the maximum number of mentees allowed for a mentor. You as a mentor also have a choice under your mentor profile to specify the maximum number of mentees you are able to work with at any one time, so long as it does not exceed the maximum defined by your administrator.

Both can happen. If your initial contact goes really well and both of you agree to be in a mentoring relationship, you can continue to book sessions with each other and set your own timeline. If you enjoyed your initial contact but want to speak with others, you always have the opportunity to decline bookings. If you are a mentee, you are similarly welcome to search for another mentor.

You can view your mentoring relationships under the “Mentoring” tab. Right click on this tab, then select “Current Mentoring Relationships.” Click on the respective mentor/mentee, and you will be redirected to your chat page where you can interact with your mentor/mentee.

Be honest, trustworthy, open-minded, and nonjudgmental. Communicate well and listen to your mentees, and make sure to share your experiences, knowledge, feedback, and different points of view. You should be a sounding-board for your mentees’ ideas and challenges, as well as a source of support and encouragement. You must also maintain confidentiality.

Think about what you are looking to get out of your mentoring relationship and prepare to discuss these topics.

Be open-minded and receptive to your mentor’s ideas, and accept and learn from any constructive feedback. Take the initiative in connecting with your mentor, and try to be flexible and timely when scheduling or attending meetings. You must also maintain confidentiality.

We’re asking mentors to have full sessions with two people a month, or short sessions with four people a month. However, it is ultimately up to the mentor and mentee to decide on the amount of time they meet up. Some people meet monthly, while others with less flexible schedules choose to meet quarterly. It all depends on what the mentee and mentor feel is best for their relationship.

We are asking all mentors to dedicate at least two hours every month. You can split your time into either two one-hour blocks or four half-hour blocks.

When a mentee books a session, the platform will send you an automatic email. The email will provide the date and time the mentee requested, along with the mentee’s preferred contact method and details on what the mentee is looking for in this session.

Ensure that your profile is accurate and complete so that you will be matched with the mentors or mentees best suited for you. Invest 15 to 30 minutes a week on the platform to review mentees, requests, and messages, and ensure that your calendar availability is accurate. Respond positively to your mentees and provide them with resources, tasks, or practices for their growth and development.