Your Role as a Mentor

Mentoring is a learning relationship. Its purpose is to develop the skills, knowledge, or competencies of mentees to help them achieve their goals.

Your main task: Create a supportive environment in which mentees can grow. This involves not just sharing your professional experience and expertise, but also:

• Listening & asking open-ended questions
• Offering space for reflection and organizing one´s thoughts
• Working together to develop solutions
• Offering positive challenges
• Exploring topics in depth
• Helping your mentee expand their professional network
  etc.

Boundaries of your role
If you have questions or uncertainties about your role as a mentor, feel free to contact us anytime: alma@univie.ac.at. Here’s some helpful guidance in advance:

• Mentors don’t provide all the answers
Even though mentees often start out seeking information, we know from experience that mentoring is most impactful when mentors provide space for reflection and empower mentees to actively shape their own learning journey. Mentees should be encouraged to research independently, make their own decisions, and stay actively engaged.

• Mentoring is a professional relationship
Mentees may go through challenging phases and share this with you as a trusted person. Be mindful of your role and steer the focus back to familiar grounds when discussions drift too far from the agreed goals.

If a mentee is seeking psychological support, you can refer them to the free Psychological Student Counseling services. Additionally, we encourage mentors to contact us with any challenges that may arise.

• You are not guaranteeing a career
It’s not your responsibility to provide jobs or connections. You offer support based on your experience, but you can’t guarantee the success of your mentee’s career goals.