“ Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor. ”

~ Denzel Washington

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”

~ Steven Spielberg

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

What is Mentoring and Why It Matters?

Youth mentoring can take many different forms. It can take place one-on-one through personal face-to-face meetings, in groups, through email exchanges, telephone conversations, letters, or any other form of communication. It can be done through schools, or at work or through community agencies.

The goals of a mentoring relationship are as varied as the individuals themselves. Through community-based mentoring, volunteers are matched with youth, with a general focus on building relationships and enhancing students' social activities. In school-based mentoring, adults or older peers are matched with students. Typically, activities are centered on academic, athletic or social engagement at school. In some cases, employers organize mentoring programs, with a group of employee-mentors matched with students in a specific classroom or school.

E-mentoring (telementoring) is a newer form of mentoring in which the mentor and mentee, communicate via email. E-mentoring is generally school-based and frequently focuses on career or academic achievement and improvement.

Want to learn more? We love this easy-to-use 2005 report issued by Partners for Youth with Disabilities. Don’t let the publication date fool you - it is chock full of useful information on mentoring models, best practice, how to start and maintain an effective mentoring program, how to evaluate a mentoring program and how to use mentoring to promote positive transition to employment and post-secondary settings. There is even an entire chapter (24 pages) dedicated to e-mentoring strategies, especially useful in rural areas or when transportation or language barriers present a challenge.

The resources section is full of useful tools and forms.

View the guide PDF now >>

Why Mentoring is Important

Did you know that one in three young adults will grow up without a mentor? Young adults at risk of falling off track but who have a mentor are:

(Data from the National Mentoring Partnership)

Networking Tips

Sometimes, it is not what you know, but who you know. In addition to having a mentor, it can be very useful to learn how to ‘network.’

We love these five simple networking tips from Sandy Lovejoy, a contributing writer at Monster.com.

Step 1: List Potential Prospects - Write down the name of anyone you know or have heard about in the field or close to the field you want to work in. Then make lists of everyone you can think of who will support your efforts to find a job, no matter what work they might do. Your hairdresser knows many people, all of whom talk about their work while being beautified. Your neighbor's father-in-law may be the one who supplies a crucial name.

Step 2: Contact as Many of Those People as Possible - A short conversation, a telephone message saying that you're looking for work and would appreciate a call back if they are aware of anyone looking to fill a position or an email to your contact list could be all it takes.

Step 3: Be Clear About What You Want - You should be able to articulate what you can bring to the job and what you hope to get from it. Having your own clarity makes you more convincing to everyone you talk to. Consider the concerns you have about your disability (if any) as well as the concerns you think others might have, and how you will respond to them. Write out your goals, your strengths, and your plans for overcoming any obstacles. This gives you more conviction when talking to others.

Step 4: Do Some Informational Interviewing - Find one or more companies you think might offer the type of work you hope to do and that seem to have a culture you would feel comfortable in. If you don't know of any when you begin your search, you can mention that you're looking for such a place when you talk to your contact list. Contact the receptionist or someone who knows the organization and ask who would be the best person to talk to for the position you're interested in.

Informational interviews are important for several reasons. Yes, you'll find out a lot about different companies and potential jobs, but you'll also learn how to present yourself and your skills during an actual job interview. Think of informational interviews as rehearsals for interviews that count. And remember that with each informational interview, you've just made another important networking contact.

Step 5: Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open - Have the courage to ask people to introduce you to someone who might be instrumental in getting you in the door for an interview. Those in a position to hire are happy to hear from people they know and respect about prospects.