GUIDELINES FOR MENTEES

Congratulations and welcome to the HRACRE Mentorship Program!

The HRACRE Mentorship Program provides college students, young professionals, and career transitioning individuals with additional resources for their continued success. Through this program you will be partnered with a successful executive, entrepreneur, or public sector leader in the commercial real estate industry who will help you develop strategies for academic, professional, and social success. The program’s goal is your personal growth and professional networking.

You will have a one-to-one relationship with your executive mentor, who will act as your personal coach and career advisor. The typical duration of the mentorship is 4-6 months, with a minimum of 2 interactions per month.

The primary responsibility of continuing and maintaining communication with your mentor is yours. We understand this may be intimidating for you at first, or that you may be worried about disturbing your mentor.  Rest assured that your mentor would not have volunteered for this role if they were not ready and willing to be available to you.  Regular communication with your executive mentor needs to be maintained for you to benefit from the priceless opportunities your mentor has to offer. Contact your mentor with questions and requests for advice. Agree upfront how often you will engage with each other and commit to regular communication according to your mutual agreement.

Suggested Activities

Following is a list of possible activities and endeavors where you will benefit and receive opportunities from the relationship, as well as in which you can involve your mentor.

1. Email/text or telephone your mentor and ask their opinion on current relevant business events and information on the industry or their career interests
2. Ask for feedback on fine-tuning your professional attitude, presence and conduct - often referred to as soft skills.
3. Ask your mentor to review items such as your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile and/or your “elevator pitch.”
4. Ask your mentor about experiences with time management systems and calendaring.
5. Forward your mentor relevant business articles for later discussion or for their general information.
6. Ask for assistance with networking and introductions.

The HRACRE Mentorship Program is …

✓  An opportunity to network with an experienced and successful businessperson who can be a
     sounding board for your academic and career considerations.
✓  An opportunity to hear another point of view about academic and business experiences, from
     someone who is not a parent, teacher or coworker.
✓ An opportunity to informally discuss “how business works” in terms of the hiring process,
    business etiquette and communication styles.
✓ A no pressure, no judgment relationship that can be time limited or continuing.

The HRACRE Mentorship Program is not …

✓ An automatic job or internship at your mentor’s place of business.
✓ An automatic reference from your mentor.
✓ A structured, must-meet-every-week relationship.
✓ A waste of either your or your mentor’s time.

Download the Mentee Guidelines HERE