CONNECT Mentor Toolbox
We recommend spending some time looking through the below tools and resources, which will help you to plan and structure your mentoring sessions, and guide your conversations with your mentee.
Your mentee will also have access to our online Career and Employability Platform, and you can watch a demo of this resource here.
For mentor access to the Career and Employability Platform, or if you have any suggestions for other resources we might include, please get in touch with Ronika Bhudia - ronikabhudia@sparkcharity.org.uk.
Preparing for your mentee
Safeguarding
Here's a reminder of the main safeguarding dos and don'ts while working with your mentee. Please read this in advance of your first session.
The roles of the mentor
A mentor wears many hats. Do you know them all, and what is expected of you during your mentoring sessions?
Communication is key
Effective communication is key to a successfully relationship. Read about the 7 ways to build rapport with your mentee, and avoid barriers to good communication.
Getting to know your mentee
Question prompts
Your first session will be the chance to get to know each other. If you need help with some questions to ask your mentee and to answer yourself, download this resource.
Smiley Face
This is a simple exercise to focus on what your mentee does well, helping to articulate their strengths and build their confidence.
SWOT analysis
A simple and useful framework for exploring Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Work with your mentee to build up a picture of who they are and areas you can support them to focus on.
Self-assessment resources
Employability skills assessment
Support your mentee to understand and reflect on their SkillsBuilder employability skills, and identifying which they can improve on and how.
Job preferences
What does their dream job look like? Have a look at this list, and rank what’s most important to them, and explore what types of roles might be right for them.
Time Audit
How do you spend your day? Fill out a timeline of the previous 24 hours, and you and your mentor can compare notes. How could they spend their time more effectively?
Setting and achieving goals
Wheel of Life
The Wheel of Life will support your mentee to assess what's important to them, understand their values, and create balance in their life.
The GROW Model
Use the GROW Model to help structure your conversations, define your mentee's goals, and decide on actions to achieve them.
Labour Market Information
Help your mentee think about their career options by understanding the local labour market information (LMI), growth industries, and recruiting sectors.
Applying for work or university
CV template and examples
If they don't already have a CV, then here's a basic template. If they already have a CV, then have a look at good and bad examples.
STAR interview technique
Support your mentee to talk about their experience and prepare for interviews, using the STAR method to practise competency based answers.
Personal statements
If your mentee is thinking of applying to university, they will need to write a personal statement. Use this UCAS template to help them practice, and find guidance here.
