MENTEE

MANUAL

AIHA Mentoring
Program A Guide for Mentees

Sponsored by the Students and Early Career Professionals Committee

Welcome to the AIHA Mentoring Program!

This packet is intended to provide a framework for developing your mentor – mentee
relationship. Please take a few minutes to review this packet and use as much (or as little) of
the material as you need.

Contents:

First Things First: Basic Mentoring Guidelines and First Meeting Questions ...................... 2

Mentoring Program Process Map ..................................................................................... 5

Mentee Profile Form ........................................................................................................ 6

Mentor Profile Form ........................................................................................................ 7

Mentoring Action Plan* ................................................................................................... 8

Top 10 Tips for Mentees................................................................................................... 9

Mentoring Program Contact Information ....................................................................... 10

*Required to receive ABIH CM points for participation in the Mentoring Program

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     For the Mentee 
 
 
First Things First: Basic Mentoring Guidelines and 
First Meeting Questions 
1. Discuss the expected time commitment for both parties. We anticipate that the two of you should 
“meet” once every 4‐6 weeks for 30 min to 1 hour. 
2. Go through the answers to the questions asked on the Mentee Profile form. 
3. Determine if you will both be at the next AIHce, AIHA Fall Conference, or other conference for a 
face‐to‐face meeting. 
4. Determine what days/times you would like to meet each month. A standing meeting will help you 
both prepare and get the most out of this program. Meetings can be rescheduled as necessary. 
5. Determine whether meetings will be face‐to‐face, by phone or Skype, by instant messaging, or by 
other means that the two of you think will work. 
6. Set the expectation that both parties should always be prepared for each meeting. 
7. Experience has shown that relationships of this kind are most successful when the mentee takes the 
responsibility for managing the relationship. 
 
Top 3 Reasons Why Mentorships Fail: 

1. Lack of commitment to the relationship 
2. Unclear expectations 
3. Lack of trust 
 
Mentoring is: 
• An equal partnership with two‐way learning 
• Enhancing your skill sets, expanding your network, and getting some career guidance 
• Clearly defined goals, expectations, and time frames 
• An opportunity for the mentor and mentee to focus together on the mentee’s growth and 
development needs. 
 
Mentee‐Driven, Mentor‐Guided Relationship 

• The mentee and mentor should work together to establish calendar commitments for their routine 
meetings. 
• The mentor is responsible for helping the mentee stay focused on goals and developmental needs 
throughout the relationship period. 
• The goal of the mentor is to ask questions (versus giving advice) and help the mentee put their own 
action plan together. 

If you have questions, feel free to contact your Regional Director. 
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     For the Mentee 
 
 

The First Meeting 
Getting to know each other and establishing expectations for how you both plan to build your 
partnership are two critical activities that begin at your first meeting.   The following questions are 
optional and provided to you as a form of assistance in getting started. 
 
Get Acquainted: 

• Are you currently employed? Are you a student? 
• How long have you worked in the industrial hygiene profession? 
• Where did you grow up? 
• Where do you currently live? 
• How do you spend your time away from school and/or work? 
• What are your interests and hobbies? 
• Why did you want to participate in the mentoring program? 
 
Clarify Your Interests and Needs: 

• Consider what you would like to learn from this experience. 
• Prepare a list of questions and concerns you have about your career and professional development 
(e.g., time‐management, building a network, getting a job, getting published, balancing work and 
family, career goals and aspirations). 
• Actively seek feedback from your mentor. 
• Be as specific as possible when asking for information, ideas, and suggestions. 
• Be receptive to the feedback you are offered. 
• Identify ways that your mentor can support you. 
 
Establish and Review Goals: 

• Examine your answers to the Mentee Profile form. You may use these answers to help you establish 
some goals for yourself. 
• Take a look above at the interests and needs that you listed. 
• Develop 3 – 5 goals for this program that you have for yourself and share them with your mentor. 
 

If you have questions, feel free to contact your Regional Director. 
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     For the Mentee 
 
Establish Partnership Guidelines: 

• When will we meet? How often and how long? 
• Where or how will we meet? 
• How will we schedule our meetings? Standing date and time? 
• What happens if one of us needs to cancel or postpone a meeting? 
• Who will coordinate logistics for each meeting (i.e., meeting place or teleconference call‐in info, 
date/time, materials)? 
• Will we create a written agenda and document action items? (This is required if the mentor wishes 
to obtain CM points through ABIH.) 
• What permanent agenda items will be a part of each meeting? 
• Will we have an agenda and meeting notes? If, yes, who will be responsible for these? 
• How will we evaluate our meetings? 
• How will we measure the success of this mentorship? 
• How often will we communicate between meetings? 

Confirm Next Steps: 
• When and where is our next meeting? 
• What is our agenda? 
• What do we need to prepare for the next meeting? 

If you have questions, feel free to contact your Regional Director. 
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 Mentoring Program Process

Mentor contacts
Mentee completes First "meetng": Get
mentee and reflects on Mentor reviews
Mentee Profile better acquainted; set
own Mentor Profile mentee's questionnaire;
questionnaire and sends future "meetings";
questions prior to first sets first "meeting"
to mentor discuss expectations
"meeting"

Revisit Continue "meetings" Mentor indicates

Mentoring Action Plan and work on goals whether or not he/she is Complete
and goals; adjust as identified in interested in ABIH CM Mentoring Action Plan
needed Mentoring Action Plan points

End one year commitment;

Midpoint Evaluation:
Continue "meetings" Complete Program Evaluation;
Continue (see next box)
and revisit Submit Mentoring Meeting Documentation
or request reassignment
Mentoring Action Plan sheets to Regional Director for ABIH CM points;
from Regional Director
and goals as needed if continuing relationship,
(begin at first box again)
repeat applicable steps above.

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Mentee Profile
1. What are you hoping to get out of this program?

2. Where do you want to be one year from now? Five years from now?

3. What areas of practice, fields of work, or industrial hygiene topics would you like to know
more about?

4. Why did you want to participate in the mentoring program?

5. What are your short-term goals? Long-term goals?

6. How much experience do you have in industrial hygiene? Are you new to the profession?

7. Are you currently involved in any organizations, volunteer groups, or projects that you
want your mentor to be aware of?

8. How much time do you have to commit to this mentoring program? What days and times
work best for you?

9. Will you be attending the upcoming AIHce or AIHA Fall Conference?

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Mentor Profile
1. What are you hoping to get out of this program? What are you hoping your mentee will get
out of this program?

2. What areas of practice, fields of work, or industrial hygiene topics are you proficient in?

3. Why did you want to participate in the mentoring program?

4. When you were just getting started, what did you wish you had known? Did you have a
mentor or want a mentor?

5. How much experience do you have in industrial hygiene?

6. Are you currently involved in any organizations, volunteer groups, or projects that you
want to share with your mentee?

7. How much time do you have to commit to this mentoring program? What days and times
work best for you?

8. Will you be attending the upcoming AIHce or AIHA Fall Conference?

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 Initial Meeting Document 

Mentoring Action Plan 
 
Date of Meeting: _______________ 
 
Mentor Name: ________________________________ 
 
Mentee Name: ________________________________ 
 
Mentoring Regional Director:    
         
       
 
Time Commitment for Meetings: 
 
Standing Date (yes or no): 
Frequency of meetings: 
Duration of meetings: 
 
Will we meet at the upcoming AIHce or fall AIHA conference? 
Will we attend the Mentoring Program Networking Event at AIHce? 
 
  
Goals (develop 3 – 5 goals for this program): 
1. 
 
 
2. 
 
 
3. 
 
 
4. 
 
 
5. 
 
 
Does the mentor wish to receive CM points for participation in the Mentoring Program? 
 
 
 

Please send your Mentoring Action Plan to your Regional Director following your first meeting. 
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Top 10 Tips for Mentees

1. Know what you want. Have 2-3 short-term goals (6-12 months) and 2-3 long-term goals (3-5+ years).
Make them SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound). And be focused!
Focus on what is most important during your mentoring sessions.

2. Have written, mutually agreed-upon guidelines. Specify your purpose for the mentoring relationship.
Do you want skill coaching? Networking opportunities? Sharing of experience? A sounding board?
Spell out expectations regarding how often and how you will communicate.

3. Make it easy for your mentor. Give your mentor preference in mode of communication, location for
meetings and times. Buy them lunch or coffee when you meet. Avoid contacting your mentor outside
of agreed-upon times. Be specific in how your mentor can help you; they may be new to mentoring. Be
on time for your meetings! Return emails, texts, phone calls, etc. promptly.

4. Be prepared for your meetings. Send your up-dated resume to your mentor prior to a meeting you
asked for help reviewing it. See #1. Have an agenda for your meetings; with discussion topics decided a
few meetings in advance, ideally. Have questions ready. Do any homework or challenges that your
mentor assigns.

5. Accept Advice. Accept advice with an open mind. If you disagree, talk it over.

6. Be interested in your mentor’s life. While the mentor/mentee relationship typically is more mentee-
focused, your mentor wants to feel like you care about her as a person, not just as a stepping-stone.

7. Maintain confidentiality. Never disclose anything to others that could embarrass or hurt your mentor.

8. Share your success! When you have success—a promotion, a new job, a significant project
completion—let your mentor know. Especially mention if your mentoring relationship has contributed
to the success.

9. Show appreciation. Mentors need encouragement, too! Use affirming words to tell her how they
have helped you. You also could send your mentor a “thinking-of-you” card with a news-clipping of
interest. You could find some way to assist her, such as offering to take her to the airport.

10. Promote your mentor. Just as your mentor may promote you in her professional network, you can
do likewise!

References:

Diane Windingland www.SmallTalkBigResults.com

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Mentoring Program Contact Information

Website:
http://www.aiha.org/insideaiha/volunteergroups/SECP/Pages/StudentMentoringProgram.aspx

Regional Directors:
Midwest U.S.
Melissa M. Rupert, CIH
Melissa_Rupert@concentra.com

Central U.S.
Christine Hoehn, CIH
Christine_Hoehn@praxair.com

South U.S.
Nicole Greeson, CIH
Nicole.Greeson@duke.edu

East U.S.
Braxton Lewis
lewisbr@ctc.com

West U.S.
Christina Elish
Celish39@gmail.com

Canada
Naureen Badmus, CIH
Naureen.Badmus@bp.com

Other:
Students and Early Career Professional Committee -
http://www.aiha.org/insideaiha/volunteergroups/SECP/Pages/default.aspx

Career and Employment Services Committee -

http://www.aiha.org/insideaiha/volunteergroups/CareerandEmploymentServices/Pages/default.aspx

AIHA Students and Young Professionals Information -

http://www.aiha.org/insideaiha/students/Pages/default.aspx

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