Learning More About Becoming a Mentor
IAEE’s Mentor Match program is designed to match emerging leaders within the exhibitions and events industry with seasoned professionals in hopes that the two will learn from one another and enjoy a stronger, more fruitful professional experience.
Frequently Asked Questions for Mentors:
What are the requirements for becoming a mentor?
IAEE mentors must be current IAEE members and have three or more years of experience in the exhibitions and events industry.
What is the time commitment?
Ultimately, this will be decided by you and your mentee. Ideally, mentors should plan to communicate with their mentee a minimum of one time per month. The formal IAEE mentor-mentee relationship can last one year or as long as the mentor and mentee wish to continue.
What is my role as a mentor?
IAEE mentors are valuable resources to emerging industry professionals. As a mentor, you are expected to share your knowledge and professional experiences with your mentee, try to answer questions your mentee has about the industry and look for ways to offer career-strengthening experiences and introductions for your mentee.
Let your mentee know the best way and time to get in touch with you and how often he or she should expect to hear from you. If, for any reason, you are unable to continue the relationship, please let your mentee know and contact Lisa Buchanan.
What should I be prepared to discuss with my mentee?
As a mentor, you should provide guidance that will ultimately strengthen the career of your mentee. You may want to discuss
- things you wish you’d known when you entered the industry
- value you’ve received from your IAEE membership
- valuable tips you received from your own mentor
- industry trends
- tips on professionalism (interviewing tips, resume building, etc)
- mistakes you’ve made during your career
You may also want to assist your mentee in establishing relationships with other leaders in the industry.
How will I be expected to communicate with my mentee?
This will depend on the communication style preferred by both you and your mentee. For instance, if you both prefer to communicate via email, go for it! If you live in close vicinity with your mentee and would like to schedule a face-to-face meeting, this is acceptable. Whichever communication method you choose, be sure that it is mutually compatible.
Balancing work, school, social experiences and relationships can be challenging. Remember to be respectful of your mentee’s time. If you need to reschedule a meeting for any reason, be sure to communicate this to your mentee in a timely manner. You should expect the same treatment by your mentee!
How mentor/mentee matches are made?
IAEE tries to match our mentee applicants; by organizer or supplier member match (if you are an organizer member, we try and match you with another organizer member within the program). We make every effort to match at the local or grassroots level We review goals and objectives and find the best possible mentor match from our pool of candidates
Where will the Mentor/Mentee log into to access more information?
MemberLink is the hub for all information related to the overall experience of our Mentor program. You can find the program overview, an FAQ sheet, self-assessments and evaluations of the program.
How will the community look?
You will be invited to the Mentor Community once you have been matched. What will be included: Everything related to the program to help you with this journey i.e. video link, self-assessments, evaluations, FAQ’s, bi-weekly communications and posts from us here at IAEE.
How do I apply to become a mentor?
Click here to apply!
