Remember: You drive the relationship. Take initiative in scheduling, preparing for, and following up after meetings.
Mentors are here to guide you with advice and encouragement, but they are not responsible for landing you a job.
Take initiative: schedule your first meeting within 2 business days of being introduced.
Respect your mentor’s time: be punctual, professional, and communicate clearly.
Be prepared: bring questions or topics to each meeting.
Follow through: act on feedback and share progress in your next meeting
Stay curious: ask about your mentor’s career path, challenges, and lessons learned.
Set goals: know what you want to gain — resume help, career exploration, networking tips, etc.
Suggested kickoff agenda:
Introduce yourselves (background, interests, goals)
Confirm preferred names and pronouns
Decide how you’ll communicate (Zoom, phone, in person, email)
Choose how often you’ll meet (monthly is recommended)
Identify one starting focus (resume review, career exploration, project feedback, etc.)
Complete the eGOLD Mentoring Agreement
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
What path led you here from college?
What challenges did you face starting out?
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be
What skills or experiences are most valuable in your field right now?
How do you continue learning and growing in your career?
Take a few minutes to jot down:
Key takeaways
Action steps you want to complete
Questions you’d like to ask next time
If challenges arise (scheduling conflicts, misalignment, or other concerns), reach out to Kalindi (kalindi-garvin@uiowa.edu) for help or a possible rematch.
Next steps and timeline
We will email you your mentor’s name and email address.
Action for mentees: Please email your mentor by Wednesday, Sept. 24 with a brief introduction and a few time options for your first 30-minute meeting.
Aim to meet within the next 1–2 weeks.
Choose a format that works for both of you: in person, Zoom, or phone.
Include these four pieces:
Introduction: Your name, major, graduation month, and one or two interests.
Purpose: What you hope to get from the mentorship this semester.
Scheduling options: Three windows that work for you next week.
Contact details: Your preferred meeting format and phone number.
It’s normal not to know exactly what you want from mentoring at the start. You can simply share what you’re curious about or areas you’d like to explore. For example:
“I’d like to learn more about different career paths in engineering.”
“I’m interested in hearing how you got started in your field.”
“I’d like advice on how to build experiences that will help me after graduation.”
“I’m open to learning what you think would be most valuable for someone at my stage.”
You don’t have to have it all figured out — that’s what your mentor is here for. A good starting point is to think about:
What excites you about engineering?
What feels confusing or overwhelming about planning for your future?
Is there a skill, experience, or confidence you’d like to build?
Subject: Introduction and first meeting
Hi [Mentor First Name],
I am excited to connect as your mentee. I am [Your Name], a [Year] in [Major] graduating in [Month/Year]. I am interested in [areas of interest]. I would love to schedule our first 30-minute meeting next week. I am available:
[Day], [Time window] CT
[Day], [Time window] CT
[Day], [Time window] CT
I can meet on Zoom, by phone, or in person if convenient. My phone number is [###-###-####].
Thank you, and I look forward to meeting you.
Best,
[Your Name]