The CREW Boston Mentor Program for the 2016-2017 year is officially open! We have wrapped up a very successful year, and we are hoping to continue the success this year. Please see below for the responsibilities and expectations for the Mentor/Mentee Relationship and a Peer to Peer Relationship. It is important to note that these are suggestions, and each pair will set their own goals and expectations for their relationships at the start of the program. PROGRAM OPTIONS Mentor / Mentee Relationship A mentor, typically a successful and seasoned professional, works with a mentee, usually a less experienced professional, to grow and advance the mentee's career and networks. Peer to Peer Relationship A peer mentor is a mentor at a similar professional experience level, but with expertise in a subject area that her match does not possess. APPLICATION The links to the online applications are below. Applications are due by the close of business on Friday, November 4th and matches will be made before the holidays. Please feel free to reach out to the Mentor Committee co-chairs with any questions, Hayley Suminski or Joanna Murray. Mentors Click here to sign up. The Mentor application is estimated to take less than 5 minutes to complete. Responsibilities Engage in at least one in-person meeting with Mentee each month. Meetings can be as simple as arranging to sit together at the next CREW Boston event, or meeting up for coffee/drinks/lunch. Initiate regular communication by phone or email at least once each month with Mentee Meetings and discussions with Mentee should focus on exploring issues critical to the Mentee's success and professional development Participate in Program events and group forums. CREW Boston will facilitate several in-person group meetings for program participants only. These include a kick-off lunch to introduce pairs, group events to discuss issues relevant to women in our industry, and a wrap-up lunch to collect valuable feedback. Information for these events will be communicated in the early part of 2016. Mentee & Peer Relationships Click here to sign up. The Mentee application has 10 questions and is estimated to take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The Committee appreciates thoughtful responses to the questions; they will aid in the matching process and you will have a higher likelihood of a successful match. Responsibilities Engage in at least one in-person meeting with Mentor/Peer each month Engage in regular communication by phone or email at least once each month with Mentor/Peer Participate in Program events and group forums Gain insights into personal strengths and professional development needs through discussions with Mentor/Peer and utilizing materials provided by the Program Thank you for your interest in the 2017 CREW Boston Mentor Program! ***** A pair from past Mentor Program had the following to say… “Participating in the Mentor Program has been extremely rewarding. I was thrilled to be paired with Joanna. Although I did not know her, we shared mutual friends and I only heard wonderful things about her. I believed the program would provide an opportunity to share my path , to reflect upon my work history and to impact another CREW Boston member. It has been all of that and much more. Upon meeting, we learned of congruencies both personally and professionally. I would term our relationship more of mutual mentoring! She has been a great resource to me in many ways and I hope she has learned as much from me as I have from her. I know we have bonded and will stay connected.” – Holly Nelson “I was new to CREW and only knew a couple of others in the organization. I work in Boston but cover markets outside of New England, so my network in general is small. I applied to the mentor program in hopes of meeting someone who could introduce me to a few other people and share her network with me. I was also hoping to get some guidance on my career path and support from another woman in an industry that is so male-dominated. I feel blessed to have been paired with Holly; we immediately realized we had many things in common, from the college we both attended to the circuitous routes we took in finding our current careers to our love of travel and our pets. Holly introduced me to some great contacts and has been a thoughtful and helpful ear as I've navigated through several incidents both at and outside of work. She transcended the role of mentor and has become a friend, with whom I know I will keep in touch. I would recommend the CREW mentor program to anyone who is thinking about doing it, as it definitely met and exceeded my expectations!” – Joanna Murray By learning you will teach, and by teaching you will learn. – Latin Proverb
