Mentor and Mentee
The DoD NDSEG Mentor
Benefits to the DoD NDSEG Mentee
Benefits to the DoD NDSEG Mentee
The DoD NDSEG Mentor is a volunteer whose experience may support the growth of a Fellow as the Fellow works towards completing their degree and pursuing a career within their respective discipline area. Our Mentors are tasked with the following:
- Offer sound advice and feedback
- Listen actively and sympathetically
- Help people work through an issue
- Coach a mentee towards professional growth
- Be a good role model
- Challenge mentees to achieve their potential
Benefits to the DoD NDSEG Mentee
Benefits to the DoD NDSEG Mentee
Benefits to the DoD NDSEG Mentee
NDSEG Mentee Fellows will benefit from access to DoD personnel with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge as well as networks among the Science and Engineering communities. We believe that this will help create learning opportunities and provide unique exposure to relevant DoD people, communities, processes, technologies, and more for our Fellows to:
- Expand your own network
- Work on building professional skills
- Learn new things, especially in an ever- changing environment
- Help you assimilate to the Lab and become part of a community
- Realize your potential through challenging you and asking questions
expectations & responsibilities
Open Dialogue
A good mentoring relationship requires open dialogue. Try to maintain a positive, engaging environment in which you provide feedback in an objective manner. Your Mentor may help you identify potential solutions and paths forward, but it is ultimately up to the mentee to drive the relationship.
Tips For Setting Goals & Expectations
The mentoring relationship will benefit from clarifying expectations, setting goals and assessing progress towards goals. First Meeting Suggestions:
- Discuss your background
- Ask your Mentor to tell you about themselves
- Discuss your goals with your Mentor
- Clarify expectations—what can you reasonably commit to and what are your and your Mentor’s responsibilities
- Set goals and agree upon a plan for approaching them
- Schedule your next meeting
Maintaining Communication
Some questions that may help Mentor and Mentees get started on the mentoring journey include:
- 1. What do you enjoy the best about your work? What do you least enjoy?
- What do you value most in your work and life?
- What are you currently working on (professionally, personally, developmentally)?
- How do you believe your knowledge and experience could be beneficial to me?
- What should I be thinking about at this stage of my career?
- How do you think we should approach working on our goals?
- What are some strategies that have been helpful in your navigating your career?
Mentor Responsibilities
Guide and help shape the professional growth and learning of the Mentee and serve as a positive role model via a certain number of regularly scheduled one-on-ones:
- Shares information about their background, skills and interests
- Tells mentee how they can help
- Listens actively
- Serves as a positive role model
- Helps mentee set educational/career goals
- Provides encouragement for building self-confidence and self-esteem
- Offers mentee constructive and meaningful advice and feedback
- Celebrates milestones and achievements with mentee
- Acts as a resource for information about careers
Mentee Responsibilities
Seek guidance and constructive feedback on professional development and career goals via a certain number of one-on-ones:
- Takes responsibility for keeping in regular contact with mentor and actively participates in the relationship
- Assesses academic/professional strengths, learning and developmental needs, values and short and long-term career goals
- Develops a plan with mentor for achieving these goals
- Follows through on commitments and goals
- Respects the mentor’s time
- Maintains confidentiality at all times
- Openly shares successes and failures
- Is receptive to feedback and coaching
- Takes advantage of opportunities presented by the mentor