Below is part 3 of 3 in my series on Mentorship. I look forward to your input!

Once you have identified a willing mentor, your work begins. Always remember that your mentor is doing you a favor. Their time is limited and you may not be the only one seeking their advice and mentorship. The following are a few pointers to getting the most out of your mentoring relationship.

Be respectful of your mentor’s time:

A friend, who happened to be a single mom and a person of color, was a smart, funny,

engaging, and sought after mentor. She once commented to me, “I am trying to do my day job

well and raise my son!” She was finding the additional demands on her time overwhelming.

Your mentor may (or may not) be in the same boat. Be organized, concise, and respectful of

the person’s time.

When setting up meetings with your mentor:

• Have an organized agenda.

• Send the Zoom link.

• Be on time and keep to the appointed meeting time. At five minutes before them meeting’s

• end time say, “I realize you are busy; I will let you get back to your day. Thank you.”

• Send a follow up thank you note.

General Maintenance:

• Of course, promptly do any follow up promised in meeting. Be especially attentive to any

• connections your mentor may make for you. Treat these connections like gold.

• Keep in touch with updates as appropriate. When you complete a task or other item

• discussed, be sure to send an update email or text.

• Think about how you can help your mentor – can be as simple as a restaurant recommendation or a podcast to suggestion. These considerate things help to form lasting bonds.

Meeting Cadence:

There is no exact science to cadence. If you are deep in a job hunt, you might be bouncing

ideas off your mentor frequently. If not, when you see an article or a book that might be of

interest, shoot the mentor an email. If you enjoy meeting in person, invite your mentor to

coffee once a quarter. If your mentor mentioned upcoming things in his/her life, follow up on

those. There is no exact science but find low keyways to keep in touch.