Meat Business Women Mentoring: Everything you need to know
The Meat Business Women mentoring portal has been running for two years now. If you still need to get to grips with it, now’s the perfect time!
A good mentorship has the ability to transform your mindset, boost your confidence, your career prospects and the way you carry out your current job role. Want to know more? We’ve got the basics covered for you below.
What is Meat Business Women mentoring?
Meat Business Women mentoring connects you with either a mentor or mentee in all areas of the meat industry. The algorithm matches you with the mentor or mentee best suited to your goals.
Is mentoring worth the time?
We know we’re biased, but absolutely! It’s extremely useful for creating connections, and can be essential in career development, gaining industry knowledge, new connections, gaining promotions and finding a support network. In short, we think everyone should be in a mentorship!
How do I find a mentor/mentee?
If you’re a Meat Business Women member, you need to log into your members portal, find our global mentoring section and register to be either a mentor, mentee or both. It’s free and super simple to get started.
How am I matched with my mentor/mentee?
When you register as a mentor, you’ll tell us where your strengths lie and what skills you have to offer your mentee. As a mentee, you’ll tell us what your goals are and what you’d like to be mentored on. Once you’ve completed this information, our algorithm suggests a list of mentors who are best suited to your goals. The more detail you put into your profile, the better those matches will be! You can browse the list of suggested mentors, ask them questions and have a chat before requesting to be matched with them.
How long does the mentorship last?
Your mentoring process is completely personal to your own goals, therefore the length of time it takes is down to you. However, we recommend starting with three sessions over the course of three months. Some mentorships will naturally conclude after three sessions, whilst others may continue for another few sessions – this depends on your goals and progress.
What do I need to be a mentor?
You simply need to be a member of Meat Business Women – that’s it! There’s no other criteria – everyone has something of value to give as a mentor.
How do I know if I’ve got a mentoring request?
You’ll receive an email which will tell you that you have a request in the system. Log in, and you’ll be able to accept or decline the request.
I feel nervous about starting my first session – help!
That’s understandable, but don’t worry! Meat Business Women is a supportive community and a friendly bunch! As a mentee, to help you prepare for your first session, note down up to three points you’d like to discuss with your mentor. As a mentor, remember to keep asking open questions to learn as much about your mentee and their goals as possible. During your first session, put a simple structure in place together to help track your progress.
I want to be a mentor but don’t want to be visible and available all the time – is this possible?
Absolutely! You can ‘hide’ your profile temporarily if you have a busy few months and don’t have the time to dedicate to a mentorship.
How do I follow the mentorship process and know where I’m up to?
You’ll receive regular emails throughout the process, prompting you on the next stage of your mentorship. (Make sure you add our emails to your safe sender list!) Make sure you keep your profile updated with your progress– that way the emails you receive will be relevant to the next stage of your mentorship. For example, when you’ve completed your first conversation, click ‘completed first conversation’ in the portal and so on.
What if all mentors are taken?
If all mentors are taken, don’t worry! Contact us and we may be able to work some magic and find you one. Alternatively, mentor’s availability is updated in real time, so keep checking the portal and you’ll find one! You can also contact more than one mentor at a time.
What if I don’t hear from a mentor?
Mentors have 21 days to get back to you. If you don’t hear from them in that time, you can assume that they aren’t able to mentor you at that time. Your request will expire and you are free to contact other mentors on the portal.
What if I want to end the mentorship early, or there is a problem, for example I can’t get in contact with my mentor?
We want the process to be as easy as possible, so if you encounter a problem, please contact the Meat Business Women team and we’ll be able to assist.
How do I end the mentorship?
Mentorships naturally come to an end, so the best way to end a mentorship is to have a final call with your mentor/mentee to talk about the progress made and to thank them for their time. Remember to click ‘completed’ in the mentorship portal so that that mentor can become available for other mentees.
Can I credit myself as a Meat Business Women mentor?
Absolutely – make sure you update your Linkedin profile with this information – we love to see it!
Find out more about membership here
