Flash Mentoring Guide

FLASH MENTORING GUIDE FOR MENTORS AND MENTEES

Flash mentoring is about short, effective interactions at the outset, which may build to ongoing relationships in the longer term. It’s a way of sharing experience and learning within the profession.

It is not a formal or structured mentoring program; it is an opportunity to offer help to other College students or graduates to assist them in their early years in the legal profession.

It may involve an email or message exchange, a coffee catchup, a phone call or a more extended meeting. It may be just one interaction or a series, depending on the need.

For Mentors

Thank you for your interest in flash mentoring on College Connect. We are introducing this new tool to enable the College Community to support each other via peer-to-peer flash mentoring. We look forward to your feedback and suggestions during a trial period.

What is a mentor on College Connect?

A mentor on College Connect is a community member who is keen to share their experience and knowledge with others in the legal industry, particularly those new to law or considering a career in the law.

The first years in a legal role can be challenging no matter the size or type of the organisation. The College of Law is keen to provide our students and graduates with as much support as possible as they start their careers. A helping hand from a peer, someone who has been there and done it, can make all the difference.

Willing to help

To indicate that you are available for flash mentoring, your profile will show a Willing to Help banner. This is created automatically if you have ticked one of more of the following in your profile:

Offer Mentoring

• Finding work experience

• Finding a job

• Help with a work issue

• Work-life balance advice

• Practice area career advice

• Industry introduction

You can change these at any time in your profile.

The role of the College in flash mentoring

The mentoring relationship exists between you the mentor, and the person who is seeking help – the mentee. The College provides the platform to allow the mentor/mentee relationship to be set up but remains at arms length at all times.

The College bears no liability for any advice given via flash mentoring on College Connect.

Your role as a mentor

You should make it clear at the outset of any flash mentoring that your mentee may not depend upon any advice or guidance you give them on any topic and that the advice or guidance is given by you personally and not on behalf of your employer.

You should also be ready to admit to a potential mentee that you are not capable of assisting in a particular area if you do not have the required background or expertise.

Remember

• You must not pass on any confidential information shared by the mentee

• You are not there to make decisions for the mentee

• You must not undermine the confidence of the mentee or pass judgement

Mentor settings in College Connect

You can limit the number of mentoring relationships you want at a given time by going to Flash Mentoring>Settings. This will apply if a mentee uses the Request Mentoring button to contact you but not if they message you direct. You can ask that your mentee does this so you can limit the requests accordingly.

Once you have one or more mentees you can view the relationships in Flash Mentoring > Mentoring Relationships.

For Mentees

Thank you for participating in our trial of flash mentoring on College Connect.

The role of the College in flash mentoring

The mentoring relationship exists between you the mentee and you mentor. The College provides the platform to allow the mentor/mentee relationship to be set up but remains at arms length at all times.

The College bears no liability for any advice given via flash mentoring on College Connect.

Your role as a mentee

Please be aware that you may not depend upon any advice or guidance given to you by your mentor. You must evaluate the usefulness of the advice and whether you wish to act on it or not.

It may be that the mentor you approach advises that they are not capable of assisting you in a particular area if they do not have the required background or expertise.

Remember a mentor

• must not pass on any confidential information shared by the mentee

• is not there to make decisions for you, the mentee

• must not undermine the confidence of you, the mentee or pass judgement

Finding a mentor

College Connect will suggest potential mentors for you based on the areas you nominated in your profile:

Seek Mentoring

• Finding work experience

• Finding a job

• Help with a work issue

• Work-life balance advice

• Practice area career advice

• Industry introduction

Alternatively you can just search the directory using the filters available: FIND YOUR OWN MENTOR

You can refine the results by filtering on, for example:

• The area of help you are interested in as above

• The area of practice of your potential mentor

• Their location

You can also look at their profile in more detail to see their education and work experience.

Engaging with a potential mentor

When you do find a potential mentor, please use the “Request mentoring” button to contact them rather than messaging them direct in the first instance. This helps the mentor manage the number of mentoring relationships they have at any time.

Remember, is someone has a Willing to help banner then you can confidently contact them. College Connect members are either current or past students of the College of Law as well as College staff.

QUESTIONS? FEEDBACK?

As we are trialling flash mentoring in the first instance we welcome your questions, comments and feedback to connect@collaw.edu.au

Christine Simmons & Irene Chung College Connect Community Managers