Northern Section’s mentorship program delivers valuable experiences

Northern Section’s mentorship program, which is aligned with APA’s Mentorship Program, offers a no-cost, one-on-one mentorship matching program available to planners of all backgrounds and experiences. It is one of the many programs in the Northern Section that are free or low-cost and helps our profession continually build an extended network. The program pairs mentees with three years of professional experience with an opportunity to develop technical, leadership, and networking skills by engaging with mentors who typically have five years or more of experience. The program opens registration for all participants around the start of an academic year, and matched pairs are expected to meet at least three times throughout the 8-month program. Aside from meeting three times every two or three months, the content and organization of the meetings are left up to the matched pairs to coordinate what works best for each of them to learn and share.

Identify your goals: Why do you want a mentor, and what do you hope to learn? You can clearly understand what you want to achieve by asking yourself these questions. This doesn’t mean you need a complete roadmap, but it is good to consider what areas you need guidance in and what you hope to gain from this mentorship program. For example, you may be unsure about your next career step, so you want to “listen and learn,” using the time to get an insider’s look into your mentor’s work experience and guidance on interview tips, review of your resume, or to ask general questions about what to expect in a particular job. Or, you may want to discuss pivoting your career, whether progressing to a management role and wanting to learn leadership skills or develop skills to handle work challenges.

Manage the relationship: Remember that this program is voluntary, and your mentor volunteers their time to the program, so be considerate of their time commitment. Be communicative, follow through with your commitments, be punctual and prepared for meetings, ask thoughtful questions, and be mindful of how much time is being spent. The APA mentorship program introduces participants to one another through email, and then participants are invited to meet in person at regionally organized happy hours before formal one-on-one meetings occur. Before each meeting, we send reminders and materials with questions or ideas, but matched pairs are welcome to go off-script. The meetings could happen at the mentor’s workplace, over a meal, walking in a public space, or any other mutually agreed-upon arrangement.