Setting the course of your mentee with your own experiences

Experience report with mentor Sigrid Maxl-Studler

In what areas do you offer mentoring?

On the one hand, I offer mentoring in the field of human resources, as I also work in this field at the University of Applied Sciences. On the other hand, I am also happy to share my experience of self-employment, being a trainer, working as a coach and what it all looks like on a day-to-day basis.

What motivated you to become a mentor?

First of all, there is my connection to the University of Graz, because I studied and worked there myself. And I think it's a good idea to pass on one's own experiences so that others can perhaps get on the right track at an earlier stage.

"Sometimes you need someone to ask a few questions and give you a few tips, or someone to ask the questions so that you get more clarity about your own path. Mentoring provides that guidance."

What do you think mentoring can achieve?

Mentoring is all about guidance. Sometimes you need someone to ask you a few questions and give you tips, or someone to ask you questions so that you have more clarity about your own path. Conversely, I have learned a lot myself. My last mentee, Marlene, is a trained mediator and we were able to exchange ideas on a professional level. This was very valuable for me.

Have you ever been in the role of a mentee yourself?

How was your first meeting as a mentoring tandem?

We met in a coffee shop and just told each other what we were doing.
I had brought a few questions with me because I wanted to find out from Marlene what would be a good mentoring outcome for her, what she wanted from the mentoring relationship in general and what role she wanted me to play. We quickly realised that we were a good match and that we would continue to meet.
We also talked about organisational issues at this meeting. There is very good information about this on the website, such as the mentoring guide. I made some notes that I thought we should go through. Marlene herself was also very well prepared and we knew straight away how we wanted to proceed.

What goals did you set yourself during the mentorship?

From meeting to meeting, we discussed different topics, with Marlene telling me what she wanted and me telling her what I could think of. For example, she attended one of my creative workshops to see how I planned and ran it. We also met once in my coaching room to give her an impression of my work as a coach.
At our second meeting, we looked at her application for an advertised position as a staff developer. She had already taken them to the Career Centre and asked if I could have a look at them before she sent them off. The interview invitation arrived the same day. Before her interview, we spoke on the phone again as there were still a few questions.

And then there was something to celebrate.

Definitely! Marlene successfully completed her first application. It was also great that Marlene was able to start working as a trainer in her new job. It was also very exciting for me to see how she went about it and the experience she gained. It really puts you in the middle of a professional exchange. At the same time, Marlene successfully completed her studies during the mentorship, which was another reason to celebrate.

In your opinion, what contributed to the success of your mentorship?

It's good to have a plan and a sense of whether you're a good fit in terms of content and personality. It's really quite simple.
Personally, I found it very pleasant that Marlene was so proactive during the collaboration. It's great when you have someone who makes you realise that she really wants to do this, that she prepares well, that she has questions.

Dear Sigrid Maxl-Studler, thank you very much for talking to us!

WORDRAP

I felt comfortable in the role of mentor because ...
.... I had a super committed mentee.

The special thing about Marlene is ...
... her planned approach, her maturity and her ambition.

I was ...
... surprised at how quickly she received her first invitation to an interview.

I learned from Marlene ...
... to take many things for granted and I also learned a lot from her in the professional exchange.


In conclusion, I would like to say:
 It was a great experience and I am looking forward to the next mentorship.