Seahorse Mentoring
Seahorse Mentoring is the Seahorse Freight Association’s young journalist mentor scheme which is free and exclusive to Seahorse Freight Association members.
The aim of the scheme is to offer young and aspiring journalists pastoral support to help them fulfil their career ambitions, and or help them through a difficult patch, or help them resolve a problem at work.
Mentoring is a wonderful way for mentees to expand their horizons and make progress in their careers. The mentor can be used as a safe sounding board to explore ideas and opportunities, and be challenged and inspired to reach that next milestone in their journalistic career.
It can help mentees to develop in their role, progress through the ranks and provide clarity in uncertain areas.
Mentoring is not a replacement for training or coaching, but it will help provide context and experience from a journalist or PR practitioner who wants to give something back to the air cargo, logistics, road, rail, or maritime industries. It does take commitment from both parties and a willingness to put in some work on both sides, so agreeing goals in advance is essential.
For the mentee, your mentor could provide you with new ideas and ways of thinking as a journalist. They could also help you develop your strengths, skills and confidence.
Your mentor could also give guidance on professional development and advancement and help give you increased visibility, recognition, and advice on networking opportunities.
The scheme works as a self-service scheme allowing mentees to enter and leave as they wish, providing some simple guidelines are followed. It gives the mentee complete control to choose the right mentor and the flexibility to make the mentoring experience work for the journalist. Our mentors are talented journalists and/or public relations (PR) professionals with a wealth of experience.
To ensure confidentiality we ask that mentees and mentors sign a non-disclosure agreement between themselves.
If yomailto:chair@seahorseclub.co.uku would like to be a mentor or are interested in taking part as a mentee, please contact chair@seahorseclub.co.uk
Eight steps to get started for a Mentee
- Browse the mentor profiles to find the right mentor for you.
- Download and complete a Seahorse Mentee Application Form
- Send your application form to your chosen mentor using the contact details on their profile page.
- Arrange an introductory call to make sure the chemistry is right for you and the mentor.
- Download our Seahorse Mentoring guidelines and add any of your own stipulations or requirements.
- Make sure that you and your mentor agree to the guidelines.
- You may also want your mentor to complete a non-disclosure agreement so that whatever is discussed between you and your mentor is kept private unless you give approval for your mentor to discuss your circumstances with others e.g. your current employer.
- Agree the first meet-up with your mentor, set an agenda and take it from there!
Seahorse Mentoring Scheme – Part 2
GUIDELINES
We’ve prepared this document to help guide both mentees and mentors
through the process, but the direction, the content and the experience is up
to you to develop together.
For Mentees
- How long will I have a mentor?
The mentee/mentor relationship can last up to a year. It will be up to you both to agree this from the start.
- Where can I find a mentor?
Use the Seahorse Freight Association website to review the profiles of available mentors and make your selection.
Approach your chosen mentor to discuss the opportunity. You should proceed with only one mentor.
- How should we get started?
- Define the goals.
- Agree duration and frequency of meetings.
- Format of meetings e.g. face-to-face, phone calls, Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc.
- Agenda for meetings.
- Confidentiality.
- Next
- Develop a plan.
- Record your progress.
- Review
The Seahorse Freight Association will not interfere with the process but the Seahorse Freight Association chairperson (name) will act as arbiter should an issue arise.
For Mentors
- How long will I be a mentor?
The mentee/mentor relationship can last up to a year. It will be up to you both to agree this from the start. If you can only spare a certain amount of time, this needs to be made clear in your online profile and should be updated as and when required.
This also needs to be made clear to the mentee, should you have an approach.
- How will mentees find me?
The mentee will use the Seahorse Freight Association website to review the profiles of available mentors and make their selection. They will approach their chosen mentor to discuss the opportunity and should proceed with only one mentor.
- 10 ways you can be a great mentor
- Be a role model.
- Be empathetic.
- Help build on the strengths of the mentee.
- Listen.
- Keep an open mind.
- Be patient with your mentee.
- Believe in the mentee.
- Show that you have a broad understanding of the mentee.
- Introduce the mentee to your network to help find the answers.
- Be as specific as possible in your feedback to the mentee.
