Oaks for Acorns mentoring

The St Paul’s Collegians Oaks for Acorns mentoring programme connects Collegians with Collegians to foster professional growth through supportive connections. Whether you're a mentor or a mentee, we provide clear guidelines and a code of conduct to ensure that every partnership is productive, respectful, and rewarding.

Ready to get involved? Simply sign up, and we’ll pair you with a mentor or mentee who aligns with your goals and expertise.

Role of a mentor

The mentor’s role is to assist the mentee through self-reflection, asking questions, and offering feedback and support. Below are ways you can offer support to mentees, divided into three categories of help: One-off Advice, Vocational Mentoring, and Employment Opportunities.

One-off Advice

This option involves providing brief, focused assistance through a single phone call or email exchange. Below are some ideas where you can provide quick and effective support:

CV and job applications: Share your experience of tailoring CVs to specific industries and roles. Give job application advice relevant to your experience.
Interview Preparation: Provide insights into common interview formats, questions, and strategies for calming nerves. Share tips on how to make a great impression.
Industry Discussion: Chat with a Collegian about your area of knowledge giving insight into pathways or job satisfaction.
Applying for Study: If the mentee is in tertiary study, provide insights into what further papers or direction might benefit their career.

Vocational Mentoring

If you’re able to offer more than one session, in-person or online, you can provide deeper, more strategic guidance across two or three meetings.

Industry advice: Guide the mentee on what to expect when starting in your industry, share your personal experiences, and offer advice on how to navigate the early stages of a career.
Setting Development Goals: Help the mentee establish short- and long-term career goals. Share practical tips on how to stay focused and plan for the future.

Employment Opportunities

If you’re in a position to offer internships, work experience, or employment pathways, here are ways to guide the mentee:

Workplace invite: Invite the mentee to visit your workplace, either physically or virtually, to get a feel for the working environment and company culture.
Internship opportunities: Offer the mentee short-term internships or work experience opportunities within your organisation, helping them gain valuable hands-on experience.

Guidelines for Mentees

As a mentee, you should work collaboratively with the mentor to set clear goals and create an action plan to achieve them.

Below are ways you can receive support from mentors, divided into three categories of help: One-off Advice, Vocational Mentoring, and Employment Opportunities.

One-off Advice

If you’re seeking a one-off piece of advice, like help with your CV, interview prep, or career research, the interaction will likely be brief and focused. Here's how to make the most of it:

Be Prepared: Have a specific question or task in mind before you contact your mentor. For example, if you need help with your CV, send a draft beforehand so that your mentor can review it and provide feedback during your conversation.
Manage Expectations: One-off advice doesn’t mean ongoing communication. Be mindful of your mentor’s time and don’t ask for more unless they offer.

Vocational Mentoring

This type of mentoring allows for more in-depth conversations over two or three meetings. It’s great for career development or industry insights, but it’s still a time-limited commitment.

Set Clear Objectives: Before your first meeting, define what you want to achieve across all your sessions. Focus on specific areas where your mentor can provide the most value—whether it’s confidence building, career strategy, or industry knowledge.
Plan Ahead: Respect your mentor’s time by arriving prepared with questions or topics for discussion. After each meeting, create an action plan based on your mentor’s advice.
Be Mindful of Boundaries: Understand that the relationship is structured, and your mentor may not have the capacity for more than the agreed number of meetings.

Employment Opportunities

In some cases, your mentor may be able to help you find internships, work experience, or even employment. These opportunities require both patience and professionalism.

Be professional: Approach employment opportunities with the same level of professionalism you would use in a formal job application. Always follow up promptly and be respectful of your mentor’s role within their organisation.
Be patient: While your mentor may help open doors, it’s important not to assume that they will provide you with a job. These opportunities can take time, and mentors are under no obligation to offer roles.

Code of Conduct

These guidelines are here to help you maintain a professional approach in the Oaks for Acorns Mentoring Programme. To maintain a productive and respectful mentoring relationship, it’s essential to manage expectations right from the start:

Boundaries: Mentors are generously offering their time. Mentees should respect this by limiting requests for advice or meetings to agreed-upon sessions. Stick to the established communication plan to ensure a balanced and positive experience for both parties.

Respecting Privacy: Personal information, including contact details, should not be shared with others unless explicitly agreed upon. All information exchanged should be handled with care and respect, in compliance with relevant data protection laws.

Set a Timeline: Whether it's one-off advice or a mentoring relationship with multiple meetings, agree on the number of sessions and timeline upfront.

Confidentiality: All conversations should remain confidential unless both parties agree otherwise. If recording a session (such as a video meeting), always ask for consent.

Communication: Communicate through secure channels like email or the online mentoring platform. Avoid sharing personal phone numbers unless necessary and mutually agreed upon.

Experience: Mentors should be conscious of their own levels of experience and should never overstate their expertise. The goal is to empower the mentee, not to provide all the answers.

Support and safety: Mentoring should always be a positive and constructive experience. If either party feels uncomfortable or needs assistance in managing the mentoring relationship, they should contact the mentoring coordinator.