{"id":2375,"date":"2024-08-07T09:20:58","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T08:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/?p=2375"},"modified":"2024-08-07T09:26:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T08:26:30","slug":"starting-the-conversation-what-to-say-to-your-potential-online-mentor-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/starting-the-conversation-what-to-say-to-your-potential-online-mentor-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting the conversation: what to say to your potential online mentor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alumni Connect<\/a> is a platform for UWE graduates to access an alumni directory and take part in mentoring. We’re sharing advice on mentoring; this article will cover how to start the conversation with a potential mentor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can seem daunting to be the person that makes the first move \u2013 even when we\u2019re talking about online mentoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relax, you\u2019ve already got at least one thing in common with the people who\u2019ve volunteered to be mentors on Alumni Connect \u2013 UWE Bristol. But where do you go from there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First impressions count online, and you want your potential mentor to want <\/em>to help you. Here\u2019s some tips on what to include in your opening gambit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Introduce yourself<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    This is about writing a short summary that will help your mentor understand what you need. Tell them what you study\/have studied and the main reason you\u2019re looking for a mentor right now. You don\u2019t have to send your CV straight away (or at all), and you might feel more comfortable doing this after someone has replied to your first question. Short and sweet will do just fine here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Explain why you\u2019ve picked them<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Even mentors like to feel special! There\u2019s a reason you\u2019ve considered this mentor, so don\u2019t be shy to let them know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Ask a question that Google can\u2019t answer<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        You don\u2019t need to go in with a question straight away, but if you do make sure you don\u2019t ask something could find on the first page of a search engine. Alumni Connect gives you the chance to make unique connections and learn from others\u2019 experiences. So ask your potential mentor something only they can answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Example:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I\u2019ve just graduated in Marketing Communications and I\u2019m looking for someone to help me get my first job in Social Media Marketing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I notice that you worked in Marketing for the Olympic Park, and I\u2019d be really interested to know more about what that involved<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What do you love most about your job?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Or<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I\u2019m in my final year studying Graphic Design. It would be brilliant if you could take a look at my website and let me know if there are any areas I could work on to help me get work experience with your company.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I think your approach is really unique and I love the project you did for Santander.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What do you think was the most important factor in getting your job?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Once the conversation has started, it\u2019s up to you and your mentor when it stops!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        With the right introduction you can grab their attention and they\u2019ll be able to see how they can help you. Explaining who you are, what help you need and why you think they might be the right mentor to assist you creates an instant confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You might have just established a valuable connection and a helpful stepping stone in your career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Alumni Connect is a platform for UWE graduates to access an alumni directory and take part in mentoring. We’re sharing advice on mentoring; this article will cover how to start the conversation with a potential mentor It can seem daunting to be the person that makes the first move \u2013 even when we\u2019re talking about … Continue reading “Starting the conversation: what to say to your potential online mentor”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2375"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2376,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375\/revisions\/2376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/bristol-business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}