During this unprecedented time, the UGA Mentor Program and UGA Career Center recognize the uncertainties that many of our students are facing. As we acknowledge that this is a difficult time for everyone, we will strive to provide ample resources to aid your online education experience. Moreover, the UGA Mentor Program acknowledges that during this time of isolation, staying connected is more important than ever.
While we are all practicing social distancing, there are methods of communication one can pursue to ensure interaction with friends, family, and the bulldog community. For students who are mentees in the UGA Mentor Program, e-mentoring is a great way to stay connected with an experienced UGA alumni to continue growing personally and professionally.
So, what exactly is e-mentoring? It is an innovative concept where the mentoring between a mentee and mentor occurs through a virtual setting. Most commonly, users communicate via email, texting, social media, and virtual face-to-face mediums such as FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom. E-mentoring provides participants with a boundaryless avenue for learning, advising, encouraging, coaching, and role modeling.
One should also understand that e-mentoring allows users to exchange information, advise, counsel, and share ideas well beyond posing a request or question to a listserv or email chain consisting of colleagues. Throughout the e-mentoring process, both the mentor and protégé are active learners and should strive to help one another grow through a meaningful mentoring relationship.
Now, what are some best practices for e-mentees? Below, you will find five useful practices suggested by the UGA Mentor Lab when engaging in a e-mentoring relationship:
- Drive the mentoring relationship
- Build a personal relationship with your mentor
- Connect on a regular basis with your mentor
- Establish mutual expectations and goals with your mentor
- Prepare an agenda for each mentoring meeting
Also, the UGA Mentor Program invites you to use our online resources throughout your mentorship, and we encourage you to have a purpose and goal each time that you meet with your UGA mentor.
Not yet a UGA mentee? Don’t fret! There’s always time to join the UGA Mentor Program. Visit mentor.uga.edu today to create a profile, attend a virtual orientation, and begin searching through a variety of our alumni mentors based on your identity and interests.
The UGA Mentor Lab is here to serve and support you. Our goal is to provide you a way to stay connected to experienced UGA alumni during this turbulent time. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at ugamentor@uga.edu.
Inspiring our students to do more, achieve more, and become more. That’s our commitment.