Overview
The ANUW Mentoring Program began in 2012. Mentors and mentees are accepted into the program on an annual basis and are expected to participate in their matched pair for the duration of the program year. Each mentor-mentee pair will develop their own regular meeting schedule and are encouraged to meet at least once a month. Mentorship pairs are also strongly encouraged to attend the program events and explore addition support materials provided to members during the program year.
Mentoring can and should benefit everyone involved. It helps both the mentee and the mentor recognize their strengths and abilities, develop new skills and networks, and discover exciting areas for future development.
Selection Process
The ANUW Mentoring Program Committee reviews each application individually. While the committee does its best to pair all applicants, the number of mentor/mentee pairings for each application cycle will be determined by the number of mentors. All applicants will be notified by email of their status in the program.
Mentees
Mentee Requirements
Benefits
- Expansion of personal/professional network
- Build confidence
- Enhance career trajectory or career path
- Increased self-awareness and discipline
- Sounding board for ideas/plans
- Potential to accelerate development and growth
- Positive and constructive feedback on personal and professional development issues
- Improve workplace skills
- Increase resources and tools to solve workplace issues
- Achieve goals set forth
Mentee Expectations
- Participate for the full length of the program
- Develop a regular meeting schedule with your mentor, we encourage at least once a month
- Attend program events throughout the program
- It’s your responsibility to develop and communicate your goals
- Stay active and engaged in the relationship and follow through on your commitments
- Keep expectations realistic and clear
- Accept both positive and negative feedback, it’s important for your growth
- Be yourself and be honest
- Give back and share your knowledge and skills with your mentor
- Pay it forward
Choosing a Mentor
After the application closes, mentees will be provided a link to a webpage that will contain information about the participating mentors for the program. Mentees will have the opportunity to review each mentor application and submit their top three choices to the ANUW Mentoring Program Committee. Every effort will be made to accommodate the mentee’s desired choice, but it is not guaranteed. Final pairing will be determined by the ANUW Mentoring Program Committee and will be based upon a combination of the mentee’s desired choice, areas of interest, and the mentor’s corresponding expertise.
Mentors
Mentor Requirements
- Currently in a staff position at Northwestern University
- 2-5 years professional experience
- Employed for at least 1 year at Northwestern University
- Currently a member of ANUW – Not an ANUW member yet? Join today!
Benefits
- Opportunity to share your professional experiences, insights, and lessons learned
- Help another ANUW member and satisfaction of seeing mentee succeed
- Help mentee avoid pitfalls and improve skills
- Increase awareness of workplace and staff issues
- Expand your own professional network
- Increase active listening skills
- Recognition and appreciation
- Knowledge of good mentoring techniques to use in future relationships
- Gain further insights/alternative perspectives about the university as a whole
Expectations
- Participate for the full length of the program
- Develop a regular meeting schedule with your mentee, we encourage at least once a month
- Attend program events throughout the program
- Share your career story
- Listen and ask probing questions
- Share relevant examples and stories about workplace realities and challenges
- Help create goals (skill and developmental) for the relationship
- Share relevant examples of competencies
- Discuss progress and pitfalls
- Celebrate successes
- Evaluate the relationship
- View the relationship as a mutual exchange or a partnership where both parties benefit
2022-2023 dates and details are shared when events are scheduled for this year’s “Finding Your Purpose” theme. This year’s Mentoring Program’s events will most likely be hybrid. Mentees and Mentors will choose their virtual or in-person ways to connect.
General
What is the difference between ANUW and the Mentoring Program?
- ANUW (est. 1988): Membership is open to all women in permanent staff positions at Northwestern. ANUW focuses on professional development, supporting women in administration, and fostering a sense of community among women staff members.
The ANUW Mentoring Program (est. 2012): Created specifically for ANUW members, it focuses on pairing ANUW members in one-on-one mentoring relationships.
Do I have to set up goals with my mentor?
- Goal setting is an important part of mentoring, but it is not required. It has many different forms such as career, professional development, and/or mentoring relationship goals. Discuss goal setting early in building a mentoring experience.
How long is the Mentoring Program?
- The 2023 program officially runs from January 2023 to August 2023.
Do I need to attend the programming events with my mentor or mentee?
- No, it is not required that you attend the mentoring events as a pair; however, we do encourage it to build your relationship.
Can mentors have more than one mentee per program?
- No, the program is set up to be a one-to-one match for that programming year.
Application Process
Can I apply to be a mentor and a mentee?
- No, you must choose to either be a mentor OR a mentee. However, you can return to the program next year to participate again in a different role.
What are the participation requirements?
- All applicants must be members of ANUW ($15 annual fee* with access to all ANUW programs). Mentors must have a minimum of one year of Northwestern employment, 2-5 years of experience in their field, and the interest to serve as a mentor. Mentees must have the interest and be ready to have a mentor. *Please contact us if the fee is a difficulty at this time, or you feel it is not applicable for your access to Northwestern ANUW programming. ANUW wants this incredible Mentoring opportunity and programs open to as many as possible as our programming has been a benefit to many on staff. ANUW does it best to be accessible and open so please reach out to us with any questions, suggestions, or concerns.
Matching Process
Do I get to choose my mentor?
- Mentees are able to select three mentor preferences from the pool of mentor applications.
Do I have to select five mentor preferences?
- No. The committee does their best to match mentees with their preferred selections, but it is not guaranteed.
How are mentors and mentees matched?
- Matches are made by the Mentoring Committee based on mentee preferences, the experience of mentors, and the areas of interest for all applicants.
Are mentor profiles private?
- Yes. Mentor profiles are located in Northwestern Box which is password protected.
Mentoring Relationship
What happens if my mentoring relationship does not work? Can I get a new mentor?
- At this time, we are only able to provide one mentor per mentee each cycle. The Mentoring Committee co-chairs and members are available to assist if you run into any issues. Please reach out to us via email at any time with questions. If your match does not work out, we recommend reapplying for the next cycle to be paired with a new mentor.
How often should I meet with my mentor?
- This will depend on the schedules of each match. The average number of meetings during the course of the cycle is usually 5-10, lasting 30-60 minutes each.