The operation of a Mentorship Program is at the discretion of individual chapters based on resource availability. For information on whether your local chapter has a Mentorship Program, contact a member of your local Chapter Executive.
Program Plan:
The IPMA-Canada Student Mentoring program matches students and HR
professionals for a period of approximately four months. The following steps
occur after the match to maximize the learning and development of both the
student and the HR practitioner.
Introductory Interview: The student and HR
professional meet to outline objectives for the mentoring period, set
tentative times for "Shadowing", and exchange information such as
background, experience, academic focus and phone numbers etc. for future
reference.
Shadowing Exercise: The student will get a chance to spend 4
to 8 hours (depending on the availability of both the mentor and student -
this could take place one full day or spread over several weeks) with the HR
professional on the job. This will allow the student to gain some
understanding and practical experience of what an HR professional does from
day to day. This exercise will also provide the HR professional with a
resourceful assistant during the shadowing.
Documentation of Objectives/Shadowing Date:
The objectives to
be accomplished in the mentorship period should be documented during the
introductory interview by the student and the HR professional. Both
individuals will sign the document outlining agreed upon objectives to
demonstrate commitment to the program
Closing Interview: The closing interview gives both the
student and the mentor a chance to make some closing comments about the last
four months. It also is an opportunity to ask and answer questions and plan
for keeping in touch!! At the closing interview, both the student and the
Mentor will fill out a brief questionnaire to provide feedback to the IPMA-Canada
on the successes and future challenges for the Mentorship Program.
Communication between the student and HR professional will be
on-going throughout the mentorship period. The local chapter's Student Liaison
representative and other IPMA-Canada Executive will be available at any time to
answer questions and provide guidance to the matched participants.
