Programme information

How the programme works

• Chartered Accountants Ireland has a database of Chartered Accountants who have offered to participate as mentors in the Career Mentoring Programme.
• Mentor profiles are available anonymously on the Institute website, with a code identifier.
• Mentees can search the panel of Mentors and self-select appropriate mentors.
• Mentees complete the mentee application form (available on the web) including code identifiers of selected Mentors and return it to the Career Mentoring Programme.
• The executives concerned explore the needs of the mentee with him/her to ensure an appropriate match of mentee and mentor.
• The mentor is contacted to seek his/her agreement to guide the mentee.
• The mentors details are given to the mentee in in order to initiate contact.
• Follow-up feedback is welcomed to obtain feedback on the value of the programme.
• Mentees are requested to keep all contact details of his/her mentor strictly confidential.
• Mentor details obtained in the context of the above service are kept in strictest confidence.
• Mentors may withdraw from the Mentoring Programme at any stage just by contacting our careers service and their outline profile will be removed from the database

Mentoring information

Core mentoring skills (needed by mentors and mentees): listening actively, identifying goals and current reality, building trust, and encouraging.

Mentor-specific skills (needed by mentors): inspiring, providing corrective feedback, managing risks/protecting, and instructing/developing capabilities in mentees.

Mentee-specific skills (need by mentees): self-selecting mentors, learning quickly, showing initiative, following through, and managing the relationship.

Mentor's role
The role of a Chartered Accountants Ireland Career Mentor is to provide advice and guidance to other members in relation to their career development. The mentor has no obligation to assist mentees in job searches.

The Career Mentoring Programme is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital, and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to career or professional development. It is an unofficial, voluntary, mutually-agreeable, and self-selected interaction between Chartered Accountants. It takes place when the mentee needs advice, guidance and support.

Mentoring is a power-free, two-way mutually beneficial learning situation where the mentor provides advice, shares knowledge and experiences and teaches, using a low pressure, self-discovery approach. Mentors are willing to freely share their own experiences and skills with the mentee.

Critical mentoring skills include:

• Being a good listener and knowing how to give effective feedback.
• Knowing how to help with goal setting and planning.
• Knowing when to give and conversely when not to give advice.
• The ability to instil confidence and motivate people.
• Strategic questioning abilities.
• The ability to communicate professional experiences effectively.

He/she can

• Offer challenging ideas and wise counsel
• Help build self-confidence
• Offer friendship and inspiration
• Listen to career problems and offer encouragement
• Confront negative behaviours and attitudes
• Trigger self-awareness
• Provide knowledge of the career area sought

Expectations

• The mentor will agree to an introductory meeting with the mentee, for tea/coffee, at a mutually agreeable time and place.
• Further interactions, if required, may be conducted by telephone or face to face, by agreement and within an agreed time-frame.

Withdrawing from the mentoring relationship

The Mentor has the right to withdraw at any time from the mentoring relationship, by advising the Mentee either verbally or in writing, and emailing our careers service.

Mentee's role

• The mentee is expected to initiate contact with the selected mentor within seven working days of receiving details from the Career Mentoring Programme.
• It is the responsibility of the mentee to understand the boundaries, benefits and limitations of the mentoring connection.
• Set clear objectives. These will be given to the mentor and discussed at the introductory meeting.
• Be honest.
• Arrange regular meetings or telephone contacts by agreement, if required.
• Rely on your mentor for guidance, not answers.
• Be open to feedback and willing to integrate it.
• You should consider your mentor an objective advisor; loyal, interested, trusted and experienced in areas that you may not be.
• Mentees must understand that their mentors are likely to be very busy people and may not be available at short notice
• Mentees must understand that the career support provided is based on mutual respect, and behaviours should therefore reflect that respect, eg. punctuality and appreciation.
• It would be appropriate for mentees to seek different mentors over a period of time.

Withdrawing from the mentoring relationship

The mentee has the right to withdraw at any time from the mentoring relationship, by advising the mentor either verbally or in writing, and emailing our careers service.