Top 5 FAQs for those considering mentoring
David Bryson (Senior Legal Counsel, Baillie Gifford & Co) Charlotte Edgar (Solicitor, Morisons LLP) and Emma Shewan (Trainee Solicitor, Pinsent Masons LLP) formed a panel that received questions from an audience of prospective mentors and mentees at a recent Mentoring Information Evening held at our offices. Here is a selection of some of key questions that the audience wanted answers on:
How often do mentoring pairs meet?
It depends! But typically, mentoring pairs aim to meet once a month however the current of focus of the relationship will drive how often mentors and mentees will catch up and sometimes pairs may engage more often, especially at the outset. As relationships mature the frequency of meetings often reduces.
The pilot student-trainee mentor scheme ran for a 12 month period, with meetings taking place approximately once a month. As mentoring is a flexible relationship, mentors and mentees can arrange their meetings to fit within their study and work commitments.
What's the time commitment for each mentoring session?
From a mentee's point of view, it helps to set out the end goal you are looking to work towards at your initial meeting. For meetings, I'll typically contact my mentor around a week beforehand to let them know what topic or challenge(s) I'm keen to explore. In terms of preparation, I tend to write down a few thoughts and brainstorm further points I want to cover – it helps give the meeting a structure and ensures the important points aren't forgotten!
Mentors and mentees are free to decide how long each mentoring session will last. We would normally expect meetings to last between thirty minutes to an hour, depending on the topics discussed. The mentor and mentee might also carry out some brief preparation before each meeting, for example thinking of questions to ask or possible short-term goals to set.
Will I receive training as a mentor?
Yes. Mentors on both the career development and student:trainee schemes receive a full day’s training from the Law Society’s external trainer. Most mentors find they can apply what they learn in other aspects of their lives as well as to mentoring relationships. This ‘free to you’ training will count towards your CPD for year as an added bonus.
Can you be both a mentor and mentee on the programme?
Yes you can. It has been said that ‘the best mentees make the best mentors’ and we would expect that being mentored would improve your own mentoring practice and having a mentee will help you learn how to get the most out of your mentor.
Can you continue with a student:trainee mentoring relationship if you secure a traineeship?
In short, yes. It's absolutely fine to shift the goalposts if you've achieved the aim you set yourself at the beginning of the process. It's worth bearing in mind that the process itself can be a fluid one - if the 'mentoring relationship' is still working for both mentee and mentor, then all the more reason to continue.
If you are interested in participating in our award winning programme either as a mentor or a mentor, please visit the mentoring section of our website for more information or email the team at mentoring@lawscot.org.uk.
Our upcoming mentor training sessions are on 8 May and 4 September 2019 and they're filling up fast! If you would like to book a space, get in touch at mentoring@lawscot.org.uk as soon as possible.
Information for mentors
Our mentors come from a variety of backgrounds and practice areas and they all want to use their personal experience to support someone else in their profession. From trainees to retired partners, anyone can be a fantastic mentor.
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