Finding Your Own Mentor

A do-it-yourself approach to mentorship

Mentorship & Peer Programs has launched an online learning module that teaches students to broaden their networks and identify potential mentoring relationships.

“Students are often encouraged to find a mentor, either to help them find a job or transition to life at U of T,” says Erin Clifford, Lead Coordinator, Mentorship and Peer Programs. “Some are even told that they need a mentor to succeed. What the Finding Your Own Mentor module does, is help students recognize the potential in relationships they already have.”

Mentoring is the action of someone sharing their experiences or asking questions to help facilitate another person’s growth and development. So as they go through the course, students learn to identify people in their lives who they can learn from and who influence growth. Then, they develop the skills to form a mutually-beneficial relationship.

Students are also encouraged to find peer mentors because they often have similar experiences and can help navigate a system or a place. A peer may have also been through similar transitions and could be less intimidating than someone older.

“The point of this course is to help students have more mentoring conversations and perhaps turn one or two of those conversations into long-term relationships,” says Clifford. “When they’ve finished the module they’ll be able to use this method and these tools on their own, over and over again, to broaden their networks and find valuable new mentoring relationships.”

Visit uoft.me/findyourmentor today to get started.

If you have any questions or want assistance navigating the learning process, contact Erin Clifford at erin.clifford@utoronto.ca.