At the First Meeting
At the First Meeting
Congrats! You’re finally ready for your first meeting with your mentor! This is the time where you’ll get to know each other, express your goals for your mentorship, and have any questions that pop up answered.
Materials
Upon meeting your mentor for the first time, getting to know each other, and chatting about your goals, this is where you will also be given physical copies of worksheets you’ll be filling out together.
Preparing For Your Meeting
So, how should you prepare for your first meeting with your mentor? Think of the things you’ll be sharing with them!
• Review your answers from the previous quizzes, such as the “Competencies Self Evaluation”.
• Review your answers from previous assignments, like “Setting Boundaries”.
• What was the main SMART Goal you had in mind for your mentorship?
• Have a solid idea of your schedule for the next six months, so that you can plan your meetings and jobs you’ll take effectively.
• If there are certain things from the course you want to bring up, have it bookmarked so you can pull it up quickly on your laptop, phone, tablet, etc.
• …the previous topic (“Meeting Structure”), detailed out the information you’ll be discussing during your first meeting. Review it once more, and feel free to take note on
Treat your meetings with your mentor like you would an assignment:
• Dress professionally
• Bring a notebook and pencil to take notes with
• Be rested, hydrated, comfortable, and feeling ready to take on this new step in your career!
Details of the First Meeting
The first meeting has been detailed out for you, and will include the following:
1.) Discuss the mentee’s challenges, goals, dreams, and past experiences in sign language interpreting.
2.) Discuss past experiences mentoring and being mentored for both parties.
3.) Determine the number of interpreting jobs per week the mentee will attend.
4.) Determine when, if ever, the mentee will be allowed to interpret in an appointment (with the permission of the provider and the Deaf consumer as well).
5.) Discuss any limitations – in regards to time, physical locations, transportation, etc. – for either party.
6.) Review the mentee’s goals and determine how each goal will be measured to determine when it has been successfully met.
7.) Determine how the mentee will be held accountable for their work and what actions need to be taken before, during, and after each assignment.
8.) Establish boundaries for contact times and methods, travel to assignments, and actions during an assignment and complete boundaries worksheet.
9.) Discuss any additional concerns and answer any additional questions each person may have.
10.) Discuss and ensure the mentee has signed the confidentiality agreement.
11.) Complete and sign the Mentorship First Meeting worksheet.
12.) Create the agenda for the next meeting and select the assignments the mentee will shadow at between now and the next meeting.
