Mentorship Program

Mentorship Program

 

Berkshire BPW Mentorship Program

Looking to grow in confidence in your career? Berkshire BPW’s more experienced members are ready, willing and able to provide support and advice to those in the early stages of their careers, those changing careers, and those needing direction and encouragement. 

We congratulate and welcome all of 2022 BBPW scholarship recipients to the Mentorship program this year!  Sharing our experiences and knowledge as mentors to help you achieve your career goals is very rewarding to us, and we hope that you will make time in your super-busy schedules to take full advantage of this opportunity.  As always, the program is open to all BBPW members.

The 2023 program commitment includes:

  1. An introductory session
  2. Quarterly Mentoring Check-in meetings a year - virtual or in-person
  3. Weekly or bi-weekly mentor/mentee sessions for one year - virtual or in-person

Why You Need a Mentor and How to Get One, Annabel Action, Forbes

What the Mentorship Program mentees have to say about our program

Become a Mentor

The program is currently looking for new mentors. Join us if you have:

  1. The desire to help someone
  2. Willing to commit the time and energy to the mentoring process
  3. Ability to share knowledge and provide objective feedback
  4. Able to help set development goals
  5. Provide support and advice
  6. Willing to act as a sounding board and confidante
  7. Honor the principles of trust, respect, and confidentiality

The benefits of being a mentor are many, including learning new things, sharing your knowledge with a young professional, building new professional (and personal!) relationships, giving back and feeling good about helping someone else.

Apply to be a BBPW Mentor

Please email a bio and statement of interest to Karen Zink, bbpw.mentoring@gmail.com

Developing a Mentor/Mentee relationship

One of the biggest apprehensions we hear from our mentors and mentees is how to get started in establishing and nurturing a successful relationship. The following article is quite helpful - Skills for Successful Mentoring: Competencies of Outstanding Mentors and Mentees, Linda Phillips-Jones, Ph.D.

In addition, our prior mentors and mentees have shared some advice on getting started, getting to know each other and growing your Mentor/Mentee relationship. Here’s what they said:

  • At the beginning, establish regular meetings. Biweekly seems to work best for most people. 
  • Make space to get to know each other and take time to share your backgrounds. 
  • Be open with each other and you’ll discover similarities even if you each have very different experiences. 
  • Be patient, it takes time to develop a trusting relationship.
  • Listen a lot. Then listen more. 
  • Work to understand your mentees goals and objectives. Sometimes setting goals and strategic plans is just what your mentee might be looking for. Other times they may just need someone to talk to, someone to use as a sounding board, or even a few moments to simply vent.
  • Listen. Then listen some more.
  • As your relationship progresses, be flexible about meeting schedules. Don’t hesitate to change the frequency of the meetings or the format. 
  • Many mentor/mentees will use text, phone, Zoom/Facetime/Skype and email to stay in touch. Remember that you are two busy people.
  • Let your relationship evolve as it does naturally. 
  • Stay connected, because ideas can spark by simply having this connection with each other. 
  • Listen. Then listen some more.

Any questions about the program can be directed to the Mentoring Co-Chairs, Guin Griswold and Vicky Layden at bbpw.mentoring@gmail.com

BBPW & Mentoring

Since its inception, Berkshire BPW has hosted an annual mentoring event, from the Young Careerist Competitions to Mentoring Panel discussions. The current yearly formal Mentorship program is a continuation of these efforts to engage, share experiences and inspire young professional women, women changing careers and those needing direction in their careers.