What is the HPMSNJ Mentorship Program?
- The HPMSNJ Mentorship Program aims to pair experienced healthcare planners and marketing/PR experts in the field with those who are less experienced and could use guidance as they establish their careers.
- HPMSNJ believes the right mentor coupled with an individual with a desire to be mentored will yield opportunities for the mentee to develop and advance.
- The mentor/mentee pairing will be for one year and can expand beyond one year, depending on the individual relationship and the desire to continue the relationship.
What is expected from the mentor?
- Time Commitment: We anticipate the mentor will spend about 1-2 hours per month checking in with their mentee. We will host one mentor/mentee event in 2020, most likely a dinner, which would require additional time in that given month (date and time details likely sent in early summer for October event).
- Mentor Responsibilities:
- Provide availability to the mentee for check-in phone calls; we suggest at least quarterly check-in calls for ~45 minutes – 1 hour.
- Serve as a resource to the mentee, which may include:
- Specialized knowledge sharing based on the mentor’s experience
- Career advice or sharing of mentor’s career path
- Mutual agreement on goals and expectations
- Resume/cover letter review (if/when asked)
- Interview prep or suggestions (if/when asked)
- Introducing mentee to mentor contact(s) as appropriate
- Provide honest and open feedback to the mentee
- Bring an enthusiastic and compassionate attitude to the mentee! Your guidance will be more helpful than you may know.
- Provide honest feedback to the mentorship committee on ways to improve the program.
What is expected from the mentee?
- Be proactive and schedule check-in calls with the mentor (quarterly or as frequently as the pair decides)
- Work with mentor to establish agendas for planned calls/check-ins
- Take responsibility and initiative for goal setting and expectations
- Ask for and accept feedback from your mentor
- Attend the annual mentor/mentee event
- Take a genuine curiosity in the mentor, their personal and professional background, etc. This is a relationship to be cultivated like any other!
- To provide honest feedback to the mentorship committee on ways to improve the program.
What is the role of the mentorship committee?
- Provide availability to hear mentor/mentee feedback:
- What is going well?
- How could the program improve?
- What concerns do you (mentor and/or mentee) have?
- Periodic check-ins with mentor or mentees
- Organize the annual mentor/mentee event
- Communicate program successes, challenges, etc. to the HPMSNJ Board
- Provide updates to HPMSNJ members at the annual event
What is NOT the role of the mentorship program?
- The program is not designed with the expectation of the mentor attaining a job for the mentee or as a way for the mentee to seek employment at the mentor’s organization.
- It is not a recruitment tool for the mentor.
- It is not swapping business cards and information only – it is a relationship!
- Enrollment in the program does not guarantee you will be paired with a mentee/mentor. The pairings depend on a sufficient pool of mentors/mentees, mentee interests, mentor availability, etc. The mentorship committee will make every effort to ensure the pairings are mutually desired and beneficial.