Mentor Match FAQs

General For Mentees For Mentors

General | Top

Q: What is Mentor Match?

A: Mentor Match is the latest addition to an expanding line-up of our services to support Members’ professional development needs. It is an online tool – including a searchable database – that facilitates the establishment of mentoring relationships. It is user-driven, allowing registered Mentees to search among registered Mentors using specified criteria to find individuals whose experience and expertise match areas in which they wish to be mentored. Likewise, registered Mentors can search for and identify potential Mentees.

Q: Is there a fee associated with using Mentor Match? 

A: Mentor Matching is a benefit of membership and is available only to Phi Sigma Pi Members. There is no extra charge to use this resource. Log into your CORE account to get started!

Q: How are Mentors and Mentees matched? 

A: Members must first enroll as a Mentor or Mentee. During the enrollment process, Members will select preferences for various demographics (including mentoring topics and communication preferences) to establish their personal criteria.

A registered Mentee will visit the “Find a Mentor” page and fill in their search criteria to search for possible Mentors. The Mentee will click the names of the potential Mentors to view their profiles. Once the Mentee has decided on a Mentor, they will click on the Mentor Request button (seen below the registered Mentor's profile picture) to request that person as their Mentor. An e-mail will be sent to the Mentor alerting them that they have been requested to be a Mentor. The Mentor will be able to accept or decline the request.

A registered Mentor will visit the “Find a Mentee” page and fill in their search criteria to search for possible Mentees. The Mentor will click the names of the potential Mentees to view their profiles. Once the Mentor has decided on a Mentee, they will click on the Mentee Request button (seen below the registered Mentee's profile picture) to request that person as their Mentee. An e-mail will be sent to the Mentee alerting them that they have been requested to be a Mentee. The Mentee will be able to accept or decline the request.

Q: What do the Mentoring Relationship statuses mean (active, completed, declined & abandoned?

A: When a mentoring relationship is accepted the status will be listed as "active." Keep this status throughout the mentoring term with your Mentor/Mentee. 

When the mentoring term has been completed and/or the goals of the mentoring relationship have been met, whichever comes first, update the relationship status to "completed" by clicking on the "finish relationship" button.

If the mentoring partnership is not aligning due to schedules, personal/professional conflicts, etc. and you have decided to respectfully part ways prior to completing the mentoring goals, update the relationship by clicking on the down arrow next to the finish relationship button, and choose "abandon."

If you are unable to enter into a mentoring relationship at the time of receiving a request, you can mark it as declined. The system will keep track of these instances so that you can request a relationship again in the future when the timing better suits your schedule.

Q: What is the time commitment? 

A: It is recommended that the initial Mentoring term last for about three months, or until your Mentoring goal(s) are accomplished, whichever comes first. During the introductory meeting, the Mentor and Mentee will discuss your mutual expectations about time and communication to create a schedule that works best for both of you.


For Mentees | Top

Q: How do I become a Mentee?

A: If you are a Phi Sigma Pi Member, click here to enroll as a Mentee. You will need to log into your CORE account to register. You will be instructed to choose your preferences for various demographics and also to complete your Member profile. If you need assistance with your login, email core@phisigmapi.org. 

Q: Who are the Mentors?

A: Mentors are other Phi Sigma Pi members who have volunteered their time to support other Members' careers.

Q: Can I have more than one Mentor?

A: While there is no limit to the number of mentoring relationships you can establish, we recommend that you focus on having one Mentor at a time. Please keep in mind that Mentors have limited time to offer and may have other Mentoring relationships.

Q: How do I find a Mentor?

A: Once you have enrolled as a Mentee, go the the "Find a Mentor" page and select the criteria you want to use for your Mentor search. Click on the Mentors' names to view their profiles. Once you have found a good match, click on the Mentor Request button (seen below the Mentor's profile image) to send the Mentor an email request.

Q: What should I do if I don't hear from the Mentor I requested? 

A: If you don’t hear from the Mentor within one or two weeks, feel free to contact them using the contact information found on their profile page.

Q: What is the Mentor isn't the right fit for my needs? 

A: Sometimes, regardless of the information provided, Mentors and Mentees don’t always "fit."  If this happens, we suggest that you discuss your decision honestly and kindly with your Mentor; thank them for their time then start a new Mentor search. Review the "Discover the Keys to a Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationship" under Mentoring Resources for guidance on how to navigate challenging issues.

Q: Where can I meet with my Mentor? 

A: It is up to you and your Mentor to decide how, when and where you want to pursue your mentoring relationship. It is likely that most of your communication will occur virtually. However, if you happen to live close to your Mentor, feel free to set up a time to meet in person.

Q: How long does the mentoring relationship last? 

A: It is recommended that the initial mentoring term be three months from the date of the introductory meeting with your Mentor. However, you should discuss this during the meeting to determine the appropriate timeframe based on the mentoring goals. At the end of the mentoring term, review your progress and decide if you want to stay in contact with your Mentor. We recommend that you and your Mentor agree on a meeting schedule that works best for both of you. The most important thing is to discuss your mutual expectations about time and communication at the start of your relationship.


For Mentors | Top

Q: How do I become a Mentor?

A: If you are a Phi Sigma Pi Member, click here to enroll as a Mentor. You will need to log into your CORE account to register. You will be instructed to choose your preferences for various demographics and also to complete your Member profile. If you need assistance with your login, email core@phisigmapi.org. 

Q: Who are the Mentees?

A: Mentees are other Phi Sigma Pi Members who need you to help support their careers.

Q: Can I have more than one Mentee?

A: While there is no limit to the number of mentoring relationships you can establish, we recommend that you be judicious in selecting only Mentees who are most suited to learn from your expertise and experience. You can limit the number of Mentee requests you are willing to accept on the Mentoring enrollment page.

Q: How do I find Mentees?

A: Once you have enrolled as a Mentor, go to the "Find a Mentee" page and select the criteria you want to use for your Mentee search. Click on the Mentees'' names to view their profiles. Once you have found a good match, click on the Mentee Request button (seen below the Mentee's profile image) to send the Mentee an email request. While you are able to request Mentees, we recommend and encourage that it is the Mentee's who take ownership of the process and request a Mentor.

Q: How will I know if a Mentee has selected me as their Mentor?

A: You will receive an e-mail from the Mentee requesting you to be their Mentor. You will be prompted to accept or reject the request. Please respond to the request as soon as possible, preferably within 48 hours of receipt. 

Q: Is it okay to reject a request? 

A: Yes, but there should be a good reason to do so. We encourage you to at least have an initial conversation to explore whether the relationship would be mutually fulfilling. If a potential Mentee has misinterpreted information in your profile, you may find them to be an inappropriate match. If you want to decline a request, go to the "My Mentoring Relationships" page and check the “decline” button next to the specific request.

Q: What if I'm going to be unavailable for a period of time?

A: Go to the "Mentor Enrollment" page, click the “Mentor Status” link then click on the check-box next to “Temporarily Not Participating.” Doing this will indicate that you are not accepting any Mentee requests at the moment, and your mentoring profile will not be included in a Mentee’s search for a Mentor.  It is your responsibility to communicate your availability to your existing Mentees.

Q: How do I end a mentoring relationship? 

A: If the mentoring relationship is complete, go to the "My Mentoring Relationships" page and mark the relationship as “completed.”

If the mentoring relationship isn't working out, please kindly discuss your decision to end the relationship with your Mentee. Go to the "My Mentoring Relationships" page and mark the relationship as “completed.”  Review the "Discover the Keys to a Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationship" under Mentoring Resources for guidance on how to navigate challenging issues.

Q: What are the expectations for participating Mentors?

A: We expect that you will fulfill your commitment to developing at least one mentoring relationship. We expect you to respond to initial requests from Mentees in a timely manner, and that you communicate with your Mentees as agreed upon by both you and your Mentees. Review the "Discover the Keys to a Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationship" under Mentoring Resources for guidance on how to be a great Mentor.

Q: How much time will I need to invest as a Mentor?

A: It is recommended that the initial mentoring term be three months from the date of the introductory meeting with your Mentee. However, you should discuss this during the meeting to determine the appropriate timeframe based on the Mentee's goals. At the end of the mentoring term, review your progress and decide if you want to stay in contact with your Mentee. We recommend that you and your Mentee agree on a meeting schedule that works best for both of you. The most important thing is to discuss your mutual expectations about time and communication at the start of your relationship.

Keep in mind that mentoring doesn’t necessarily require large amounts of your time. Even brief phone calls or e-mail exchanges with you can make a big difference to your Mentees.