CAREER MENTORING

Would you like to have a career mentor? Mentoring is intended for everyone who wants to develop professionally and discuss questions related to work and working life.

You can get support and encouragement for work and self-development from your mentor. Your mentor can help you find information and advice for professional questions. The mentor’s task is to support you on your way to your professional goals.

Do you know what career mentoring is? Start by reading more about mentoring here.

Before mentoring, make sure you have the time and energy required for it. Mentoring may give you valuable help in working life. Mentoring is a long-term process, consisting of regular meetings with your mentor and possibly of supporting tasks.

Many organisations provide mentoring programmes for different target groups. Below, you can find a few examples of organisations that provide mentoring in Finland. More information about mentoring programmes is available online. Many employee associations and organisations also provide their members with mentoring.

Family Federation of Finland: https://www.vaestoliitto.fi/monikulttuurisuus/womento/ (In Finnish)
Suomen Mentorit: https://suomenmentorit.fi/(In Finnish)
Auroras: https://auroras.fi/en/
Luckan Integration: https://integration.luckan.fi/mentoring-networking/
Mentoring service of Suomen Yrittäjät: https://www.mentorisi.fi/(In Finnish)

Finnish universities – for example:

• University of Helsinki: https://blogs.helsinki.fi/mentorointi/
• University of Turku: https://www.utu.fi/fi/yliopisto/alumnit/mentoring
• University of Tampere: https://www.tuni.fi/en/services-and-collaboration/tap-into-our-talent/become-a-mentor
• University of Oulu: https://www.oulu.fi/university/mentoring

If you want to start a mentoring process independently without any pre-defined programme, you can find a mentor in your own networks, or you can ask a teacher, career coach or another person to help you find one.

If you want more information about the roles of the mentor and mentee, or the matching of mentoring pairs, visit the “Matching mentoring pairs” section on the For organisers page.

For more information about the mentoring process and supporting material prepared for mentors and mentees, please visit the Career mentoring phases and supporting material page. There, you can find answers to the following questions and more:

• How should mentoring be started?
• What constitutes a good mentoring relationship?
• What does mentoring mean in practice?
• How do we work to achieve our goals?
• What rules and goals should be defined for mentoring?

On the page, you can also find a mentoring agreement template, a video of the progress of mentoring meetings and an assessment form template.

Mentoring is a process that has an end. You can also maintain contact with your mentor after the mentoring programme if you have agreed this with them. The end of mentoring does not mean that development stops. You should continue your development and advance your career independently after mentoring. Remember to work hard for your dreams and goals.

• Mentoring is an equal relationship between two people, in which the mentor supports the mentee in their professional development.
• The relationship should be based on open and active interaction and confidentiality.
• The mentoring relationship is based on the mentee’s wishes and goals.
• Set goals at the beginning of your mentoring relationship – both main goals and smaller interim goals.
• Agree a set of rules for your meetings and mentoring relationship: who will maintain contact and how often? Will you prepare yourselves for your meetings? What will you do when you meet?
• Face your partner openly, without any prejudice.
• The mentor does not need to give or find a job or a training position for the mentee, or do anything on the mentee’s behalf.
• If there is something wrong with your relationship, discuss it with your mentor. If required, contact the organiser if there is one.