Mentoring is a method for sharing information, support and ideas between a more experienced professional and a less experienced talent who wants to develop and grow professionally, and needs support in questions related to working life.
A mentor is an experienced professional in their respective field who wants to support a less experienced talent during their career and in their professional development. An mentee is a less experienced talent who needs personal assistance in job-seeking and professional growth.
Mentoring helps to share tacit knowledge related to the respective field and working life in general, examine and plan the mentee’s career path, support and help in job-seeking, build networks and develop the mentee’s professional networks, for example
Mentoring may include networking, the identification of strengths, the development of job-seeking skills, familiarisation with working life, the study of field-specific requirements and the provision of support for job-seeking.
Mentoring is based on a confidential interactive relationship between the mentor and mentee who, in discussing, considering and trying to find answers together, seek to find avenues for the mentee’s professional growth and career. Principles of mentoring include engagement, voluntariness, respect, equality, confidentiality and a goal-driven approach.
Mentoring can be provided for native Finns and anyone with an immigrant background. The goals of mentoring are based on the mentee’s wishes and needs.
This material was developed in the MESH project (ESF 2019–2021). More information about the MESH project’s activities and results is available on the project’s website at mesh.turkuamk.fi.