Mentee Guide

Who Can Sign Up to Be a Mentee?

Mentoring at Trinity is managed & facilitated by the Trinity Development & Alumni. Wherever you are in your studies or career trajectory, we hope you can benefit from the multiple mentoring opportunities we offer:

• Alumni to Student Mentoring: Connecting alumni with students.
• Alumni to Alumni Mentoring: Connecting alumni to alumni of all ages, whether recent graduates or more mature alumni looking for advice on career progression or change.

Types of Mentoring Pathways:

Whether you prefer a self-guided approach to the mentoring journey or require more guidance & support around the process, we suggest following the below mentoring structures:

• Flash Mentoring: Available all year round. Perfect for mentees seeking once-off career advice. Activities can include sending a message seeking advice, requesting a brief conversation by phone or online on a topic (e.g., a mentor's day-to-day job role), or requesting a CV/LinkedIn review.
• Longer-Term Mentoring: Available all year round. Mentees & Mentors agree to meet up three times for approximately 1 hour over the course of six months with the goal of achieving more in-depth professional development. A workbook to coincide with longer-term mentoring can be downloaded from the Trinity Development and Alumni website.

Registration and Profile Setup

Registering to Be a Mentee:

Request to join our Alumni Mentoring LinkedIn page. We will then verify your status as a Trinity Student or Alumni (we will request your student number). This process can take 1-2 business days, or up to 4 days during busy sign-up periods.

Once verified, you will have access to our LinkedIn group, where you can search for other users by clicking ‘show all’ in the box in the upper right-hand corner of the group page. (If using the mobile app, this appears directly under the name of the page, accessible by clicking on where it lists the number of people in the group.) This is how mentees will be able to search for mentors they would like to connect with.

You’ve Joined – What’s Next?

Once you have accepted the invitation, you are able to start connecting with mentors.

• Take the lead in reaching out with connection requests! Mentors will be searchable via the group.
• Need a hand structuring a mentoring request? Check out our tips below.
• Work together – Set objectives and discuss how/when you will contact each other. For example, set out a mentoring agreement using our longer-term mentoring workbook downloadable via the Trinity Development and Alumni website.
• Let them know if & when you may be away.
• Say thank you!

Writing a Mentor Request:

• Introduce yourself. For example, if you are a student, you can let your mentor know what year you are in and what you are studying.
• Tell them about your career ideas and plans. If you do not have any yet, say so – mentors will be able to help you get a feel for their chosen industries. Don’t be afraid to explore!
• Be clear about what you hope to gain from mentoring. For example:
  • "I want to explore your job role/industry so I can understand if I could be happy and successful in it."
  • "I need help with developing [or communicating to employers] the skills I am developing through my degree."
  • "I am looking for assistance with networking."
• Check your spelling and grammar and ensure your message is polite and professional.
• Once sent, a mentor should get back in touch with a reply to your query. If looking to engage with a longer-term mentor, they will either accept your request or decline your request with an explanation.

If you do not receive a reply within 7 days, you can send them a reminder message or approach another mentor instead. Please remember that mentors are often busy people and if they have not responded there may be a good reason for this.

Please contact Trinity Development and Alumni at alumnimentoring@tcd.ie if you continue to experience difficulty contacting a mentor.

Best Practice & Code of Conduct

The relationship between the 'mentee' and the more experienced 'mentor' relies on the following core principles:

• Mutual Respect: Adhering to the best practice principles set out by Trinity Development and Alumni.
• Effective Communication: Engaged and proactive communication, setting clear boundaries and expectations.
• Personal Development: Lifelong learning, an ongoing commitment to professional and personal growth.

It is important that mentees who participate in mentoring understand:

• Mentors are busy professionals volunteering their time and experience.
• The mentor's role is to help by sharing their experience and expertise, not necessarily to help organize work or offer employment.

Where Can I Meet with My Mentor In-Person?

For mentees/mentors who are able to meet up in person, we recommend meetings take place in a public location, such as on Trinity’s campus or a convenient coffee shop. It is best to avoid any venues where alcohol is served.

If you are looking for a place to meet on campus, you are welcome in our Alumni Room in East Chapel. The room is open to all alumni from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. We also have a meeting room, which can be booked in advance by contacting alumni@tcd.ie.

Tips for Being a Good Mentee:

• Be Realistic: Be reasonable in your expectations of your mentor and the time commitment involved. We recommend that you engage in one mentoring relationship at a time.
• Be Courteous: Your mentor is generously giving you their free time, so make sure you thank your mentor regularly and tell them about your successes as well as your problems.
• Take the Lead: You are expected to be proactive in the mentoring relationship and ensure that you are progressing. If you need help with this, please check out our support aids or get in touch with the Alumni or careers team.
• Stay Engaged: Complete the student workbook, feedback surveys, and attend events where required (if taking part in the structured mentoring programme).
• Review Your Progress: Each time you meet (in person or online), set aside time to reflect on what you have achieved to date.

Can I Leave the Programme?

We understand that people’s circumstances change. If at any point you need to leave the mentoring programme, that is completely fine.

If you have any active mentors at the time you wish to leave, please make sure to let them know before leaving the group.

You have the option to re-join the mentoring programme at a later date.

Seeking Support from Trinity Development & Alumni:

Should you at any point run into any issues, whether that be difficulty connecting with a mentor, please report any problems to Trinity Development and Alumni at alumnimentoring@tcd.ie. This is important, not just for your benefit, but for all members of our alumni mentoring network.

All Trinity students have access to their careers consultant as well as supports for other issues such as finance, personal counselling, and/or disabilities. Please encourage them to ask for help if they need it. The Careers Service can help connect them with other Student Services.

For further assistance, you can contact alumni@tcd.ie or visit: Trinity Student Supports & Services.