How do you get a mentor?

There are many ways to go about this. It can be as simple as simply writing an e-mail to or phoning up your career hero and asking to be mentored. For me, I signed up with a formal mentoring program at my university developed by the Department of Human Resources Management/Organizational Behaviour (HRM/OB), in partnership with Tri-Mentoring, the Human Resources Alumni Committee (HRAC), and the Human Resources Student Association (HRSA). I filled out an application form which included a question on why I wanted to be a part of the mentorship program.

Who was your mentor?

My mentor was an alumni member of my university and had over 20 years of staffing industry experience. She worked at a staffing agency, leading a national team. I was interested in getting to know all areas of HR and thought I would start with the recruitment field, since I had completed a course on recruitment and wanted to know more about it.

What topics did you talk about?

Before every meeting, I had a list of questions to ask my mentor. Some topics included: effective job search strategies, networking, navigating office politics, industry trends, and conferences we went to. I didn’t get to do this, but a good idea is to print out or cut out articles from the newspaper that are related to the industry as a conversation piece. Topics do not have to be so narrowly defined to the field. Lots of other topics are interrelated, such as international developments and even the entertainment sector. Kardashian popularity can tell a lot about leadership if you make the connection! Be sure to jot down key points that your mentor mentions in your notebook after the session to research more into them.

How did you maintain the mentorship?

Follow up on your mentor’s suggestions. Early in the mentorship, my mentor suggested that I look into post-grad opportunities like teaching English in Asia. I attended an information session at my university’s career centre on teaching English abroad and received lots of realistic information on the opportunity. In the next meeting we had, I followed up with her with what I learned and how I would proceed with the information I gathered.
Job search status updates. I would tell her all about the jobs I was applying to and asked her for her input on each application I was sending, such as a cover letter or resume. We would also discuss strategies for effective job search, such as following up with companies and finding information online on key hiring managers.
Get to your mentor personally. My mentor went on vacation for a week and she told me all about her trip. I enjoyed hearing her anecdotes and observations while traveling and she provided me some great tips should I decide to visit the same destinations. A mentor is also a friend!

Did you get to job shadow your mentor?

My mentor graciously referred me to her colleague who was working in the field that I was interested in learning more about. I contacted this person via e-mail and job shadowed him for three hours. In the same way, I prepared 10 questions to ask him throughout the shadowing session. I allowed him to work as usual and took notes while I observed him. He would tell me about all the daily tasks he must complete, and about the business model of recruiting agencies. Recruiting in the workplace is so much more different from learning about recruitment in the classroom! There is a lot phone screening, resume screening, and interacting with various stakeholders like HR departments, hiring managers, potential supervisors, and so forth. It’s very fast-paced and high-contact with other people!

How are you and your mentor now?

We still keep in touch via e-mail and have coffee. There is no shortage of topics to cover as new graduates go through many stages in their career development and it’s great to have someone who has been there to give you some advice on how to manage it all. Even if you feel that you have your career under control, you can meet up to talk about a particular trend happening in the industry. For example, a hot topic within the Canadian HR realm is Bill 139 – Rights for Temporary Workers. The business world is changing every minute, so there is always something to discuss and exchange ideas on. Stay informed and stay interested.

Final thoughts

It was a great experience and I highly recommend any student or new graduate who has questions about their field and wants to develop realistic expectations about the industry. I believe mentorships are just one of the many ways you can develop your career. Take advantage of the career development programs that your university offers, and remember: you get what you put into it. Shout out to my mentor, E.S., for being super awesome and inspiring me to write this!