How to become a mentor

Skills you can develop as a business mentor:

  • Communication and listening
  • Guiding and empowering others to reach their goals
  • Empathy and understanding other points of view
  • Relationship building

How does the Business Mentors Scheme work?

Once you’ve registered your interest in becoming a mentor, you’ll receive an email for the training session dates, October or February. You will need to complete and send us an application form. We will send you an email for the exact date of mentor training closer to the time. After being matched to your mentee, you will be required to develop a mentoring relationship with your mentee, which can be maintained by a combination of face-to-face meetings, telephone or Zoom calls and emails. We estimate that the Sussex Business Mentoring Scheme will involve 12 hours spread over a period of six months.

Mentor role

Mentoring is about listening and encouraging rather than telling your mentee exactly what they need to do. It’s an opportunity to ask questions, give guidance and help your mentee get a new perspective on their challenges. Of course, the mentoring relationship is two-way, and you might be surprised at what you’ll learn in return.

Mentoring step by step

  • Register your interest through webmail and fill the application form.
  • Attend a mentor training day on campus.
  • Hold meetings (face to face or virtually) with your matched mentee.
  • Arrange meetings at least once per quarter within the mentoring partnership. We suggest 4-6 times over the course of the academic year.
  • Provide the student with a confidential environment to talk about any expectations, anxieties and concerns they might have about their future career path.
  • Support the mentee to identify their own goals and aims by questioning and listening.
  • Support the mentee to develop a plan which works towards these goals.

Training

You also have access to bespoke training from Sussex leadership and management experts. Sussex Business Mentor training sessions, held on the University campus, take place several times through the academic year.

Mentoring scheme – key dates

The mentoring scheme runs from approximately October through June each year. Students and mentors apply to participate in the scheme in September. See the mentoring calendar for key dates.