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During your time as a match, you will get to know each other very well, and your identities will play a role in how you relate to one another. By exploring these identities together, you will have more opportunities to get to know each other and build your relationship. The questions and activities below are aimed at discussing personal and social identity. Mentors can find additional resources for talking about identity in the web-based identity workshop.
Exploring Identity:
Exploring Identity:
How would you describe yourself in three words?
How do you think others would describe you?
What’s one thing you love about yourself?
What are some of the qualities you admire in others?
Which of these qualities do you also have?
Exploring What Identity Means to You:
Exploring What Identity Means to You:
What does identity mean to you?
How do your identities differ (in the match)?
In what ways are they the same?
When was the first time you became aware about your identity?
How and where have you learned about your identity?
Have other people ever assumed they know about your identity?
Have you ever assumed you know other people’s identities?
Identity Activities:
Identity Activities:
Suggest that you and your protégé both take a personality exercise and talk about your results. While a personality test cannot and will not fully encapsulate an individual’s identity or personality, these are useful as a starting point for conversation and exploration. A few options include:
The Social Identity Wheel: worksheet that prompts youth to fill in various social identities (such as race, gender, sex, ability disability, sexual orientation, etc.) and further categorize those identities based on which matter most in their self-perception and which matter most in others’ perception of them.
The Personal Identity Wheel: is a worksheet that prompts youth to list adjectives they would use to describe themselves, the skills they have, favorite books, hobbies, etc. Unlike the Social Identity Wheel, this worksheet doesn’t emphasize perception or context.
16 Personalities Free Test: The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator is an introspective self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The test attempts to assign four categories: introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, judging or perceiving.
You are Unique!
You are Unique!
One of the most important things to keep in mind when you think about your future is the fact that YOU are unique! We all have something that makes us different from everyone else. Everyone has different skills, strengths, and weaknesses that set you apart from the rest of the people in the workplace. For protégés and mentors alike, it is important to remind yourself that what makes you unique is what makes you special and should be celebrated!
Tools, Resources, and Activities
Tools, Resources, and Activities
Exploring Careers: The Exploring Careers page on the Mentoring Road Map is an amazing resource for anyone with questions about what careers may be best suited to their unique skill set!
TEDx Talks: There are some amazing TEDx Talks about overcoming obstacles, embracing diversity, and finding your niche. Watching a Talk as a match is a great way to have honest and thoughtful conversations surrounding careers and the power of being unique!
I Am Unique Because - Public: Use this worksheet to brainstorm some of the many things, experiences, and preferences that make you unique! Talk with your match after completing the sheet and share your answers to the question “I am unique because…”
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