Mentoring Program

General info

Welcome to our free mentoring program!

We offer free, 1 to 1 mentoring to everyone above 18 years old with our STEM mentors spread around the world.

Our approach to mentoring

In a constantly evolving world, educational and career choices are often—at best— a random event or simply uncertain decisions. A mentor can play a crucial role in such decisions and help someone carve their own path by providing useful information, knowledge, and way of thinking.

The term "mentoring" refers to the collaboration between a mentor and a mentee. A mentor is someone who guides and shares their knowledge and experience, and a mentee is someone who seeks guidance and answers to their questions. However, it is a 2-way street, where both parties have something to gain.

We have found that the most productive approach is when a mentor and mentee build their relationship collaboratively, based on the mentee's needs and the mentor's abilities, always respecting both parties' availability. While a mentoring relationship can last for a lifetime, the purpose of our program is to answer specific questions over a period of time.

For this reason, we recommend to hold mentoring cycles and each of those cycles to address a specific question/ goal and last about 1 month (where you choose how many meetings you will have).
A mentoring cycle can be extended according to both participants’ purpose and availability and either you are a mentor or a mentee you can participate in different mentoring cycles with as many people as you would like.
You can register both as a mentor and as a mentee.
We are always here to support you throughout your mentoring cycles.

In need of support or more information? Please contact us at greekwomeninstem@gmail.com.

Mentee testimonial

"The extroversion of mentors is valuable, especially for those who are more hesitant to participate in the program. My mentor, in addition to her valuable time and advice, offered me optimistic encouragement to pursue my goals, helped me manage my anxiety and concerns, and broadened my options". P., Chemical Engineer

Find a Mentor

What our mentors think of the program

"For the past three years, I have had the unique opportunity to be a mentor at GWiS, and although I understand the weight this role carries, I never imagined how much joy and satisfaction this experience could bring me and how much it could change the lives of the people I meet". D., Lecturer, UK

Become a Mentor

Frequently asked questions

No, our mentoring program is addressed to all scientists of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine) fields, regardless of gender. Mentoring is about sharing one's experience and knowledge. Therefore, gender is not a criterion for becoming a mentor or mentee of our program.

This program is built up on three phases: onboarding, pairing and evaluation.

Onboarding refers to the mentors' onboarding on our pool of mentors. This is the point we welcome our mentors.
Pairing refers to the matching of a mentee with a mentor. A mentee can either choose to get guidance from a specific mentor or request that we help them with choosing a mentor. In both cases, we facilitate the pairing communications and inform both parties (mentors and mentees) about the new mentoring cycle that starts.
Evaluation refers to the end of the 1 month period, where both the mentor and the mentee can share their feedback about the programme. We love seeing constructive feedback, how the program worked out for you and how we can make it better.

As a mentee:

A few days after filling out the entry form, a member of our team will contact you to confirm that we have received your application and to let you know if the mentor you selected is available at that time. We will also send you the mentor's email and ask you to contact them to introduce yourself and start your mentoring cycle.

What should I include in this first email to my mentor? It would be good to introduce yourself, describe your current acedemic/professional circumstances and what kind of guidance and questions you have.

As a mentor:

Within a month after you fill out the registration form, we will inform you about the outcome of your application. If you are successful, we will invite you on a mentor onboarding meeting. Once a mentee-to-be requests to be paired with you, we will share your email with them so that they can reach out to you. At the same time, we will inform you and send you their contact details so that you are aware they will contact you. When the mentee contacts you, please inform them about your time availability.

My mentee didn't email me, what should I do? If you have been paired with a mentee but they haven't emailed you after 7 days of our initial contact, please email us to let us know. We will inquire and facilitate further communications.

You might have a certain question before starting but you might also feel lost and confused on your next step. Some of the most frequent subjects discussed in our mentoring cycles are:

Networking: expanding the circle of academic and professional contacts
Developing interview skills and preparing for the job market
Drafting the right CV and cover letter
Receiving professional guidance inside/ outside academia
Applying for postgraduate, doctoral, academic funding
Balancing personal and professional life
Transferring from academia to industry
Developing soft skills such as negotiating, being assertive etc.

When the month of the program is over we will contact you to inform you that the program is over and to ask you to tell us your impressions; what went well and what we could improve in the programme. You will be also able to state if you want to continue your participation in the program.

Please email us at greekwomeninstem@gmail.com to notify us about any changes of your personal details (e.g. you changed jobs) or if you decide you no longer wish to be a mentor for Greek Women in STEM. We will adjust your website mentor profile accordingly.

Articles with tips for mentors:

- Writing a resume
- Ten tips for mentors
- How to Be a Career-changing Mentor
- 10 best TedTalks on mentoring

Articles on skills acquired in academia and how they translate for your professional career:
-A toolkit for transferrable skills for post-docs
-Do post-docs need leadership skills?
-Transferrable skills in academia

Information on Lean In type of mentoring, with more articles and resources.