Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I contact you?
There are three ways in which you can contact us:
Q. What sort of memberships are available?
Currently we offer a standard membership and a student membership which is half the price of our standard membership.
Q, Why do I need a Mentor?
Mentoring is about helping others to develop in a positive and more effective way. It is a relationship designed to build confidence and support the person being mentored, (mentee} enabling them to take control of their own development and progress. It is trust-based and confidential, helping people to feel valued, self-fulfilled and rewarded. Women often find it hard to engage a mentor and this is impacts their ability to climb the career ladder. We have some interesting studies about this on our website.
You may not need a mentor all the time, but there will be times in your career where it is very helpful, then where do you go?
Q. Why should I join if I am not looking for a Mentor?
Our vision is very much about creating a space where we can share our stories and our experience, providing women with a platform to share, which will in turn inspire or help someone else. We would love our space to become a one stop shop for resources, help and ideas, as well as a showcase for our work and achievements. Being a member allows you to contribute to that. The website is currently open to all, that may change in the future, with some elements only open to members. Currently being a member will give you reduced rates for training, and we have an awesome programme for training for all members to participate in, not just mentors.
Q. Why do you charge for membership?
We charge because we aim to provide a service to women from all walks of life, and at all stages of their lives. We view Mentors for Women as a place where women can enhance their skills and find the right mentor at a specific points in their careers or their lives. We are not aligned to any other organisation, nor do we receive any funding, and it costs money to provide the service. We decided to provide a more magazine-style interface for our members, providing other places to learn from and helpful links to other organisations. Mentors for Women is a space to grow and a place to learn, our aim is to be The Place for women to go, and our members are very welcome to contribute.
Q. Why do I have to pay for my mentor?
Mentoring may be part of an organisation’s offering to their staff and there is informal mentoring that happens on a day-to-day basis, but often an offer to mentor has no proper boundaries around it and no real objectives to check its effectiveness. It can easily fall off the end of someone’s to-do list simply because of the pressure of their day-to-day job, both on the side of the mentor and the mentee. Mentors for Women wants to make sure both parties are committed to a positive outcome and one way to do that is to set up a contract between two people. Our mentoring contract does just that and the exchange of money completes the contract. Both the mentor and the mentee are vested in a positive outcome.
We are also committed to putting some of the profits we make each year into the “Helga Laura Women’s Foundation”, which supports women who cannot afford to pay for mentoring. Read about our journey to set this up on the website.
We have a package available for corporate organisations which includes the mentoring fee, and we see this as an opportunity for organisations to provide mentoring on a more formal footing. Why not ask you HR department or manager if they would be interested in joining for you?
Q. Does the mentor receive all the money I pay?
Mentors for Women has overheads, the running and development costs of the company. To be successful we want to continue to develop our service and the membership system we have designed, and that costs money. The subscriptions cover part of this but will not allow us to grow. The fee includes VAT and then we take 20% of the remaining fee.
Some mentors have chosen not to receive their fee, in which case that money will go into the Helga Laura Women’s Foundation. Find out about our progress in setting that up the foundation on the website.
Q. What if I get a system error?
If you experience a system error please contact us by email at admin@mentorsforwomen.com and attach a screen print or a description of the issue including any error codes.
Q. How do I find a Mentor?
The drop-down menu has an option Find a Mentor. Simply click on that and you will see three boxes; one for skills, one for sectors, one for name, just in case you know who you want!.
You will be provided with a list and by clicking on a name you will see an overview of that mentor. Once you have found someone you think might be a fit, you can click on the Select button below their name. They will then appear in the section above the choices box, called Selected Mentors. Take your time, you can always Deselect if you find a better fit. You are allowed to go forward with three for an initial chat.
We appreciate this may take a few days, but when you have finished click on the Confirm my three choices box.
Once you have made your choice, we will email the chosen mentors and they will contact you by email to arrange a 15 minute “get to know you” session. Have your questions ready to make the most of that time, and once you have had the sessions go back into the system and make your choice. Enter a start date for your chosen mentor and enter end-dates for those you didn’t choose together with some feedback.
Once in a relationship, you should make sure that they keep the mentoring record up to date, with meeting dates, when they were completed, as well as an update on objectives, and whether or not the mentoring need was met, or even changed.
Q. Why do I have to give feedback?
Feedback is really important for our mentors to help them to understand how they can improve. As well as giving feedback to those mentors who were not the right fit, we want both the mentor and mentee to give each other feedback at the end of the process. It is part of the reflection process, always seeking to improve. It is the mentee’s responsibility to enter the feedback for both parties as they own the mentoring record.
Q. Why has my Mentor not contacted me?
Your mentor should contact you within 2 weeks of your decision to proceed with the relationship. you have any queries, please email us at admin@mentorsforwomen.com
Q. What happens if I want to delete my account?
Should you decide you no longer want to be part of Mentors for Women and your membership is allowed to lapse, your account will remain on the system as a non-member. If you wish to delete your account altogether, please send us your details to admin@mentorsforwomen.com and we will delete your account. We are obliged to keep financial information for several years for audit purposes, but we will deactivate your account and anonymise your data until such time as it can be legally deleted.
Q. How do I join?
Joining is simple. Click here to go to the Membership Page. You don't need all your information to hand straight away. You can return to complete the information later by signing into your account and updating or amending at your leisure.
Things to remember: Find a good photo of yourself. When filling in the details of who you are and what you have done, show the essence of yourself.
For example:
"I am a big believer in family and friends. I worry about things over which I have absolutely no control. I sometimes take silly risks. When I am angry in a situation where I feel out of control it often comes out as tears.”
You should not be afraid to show a bit of who you are if you want to help people or for people to help you.
Visit the website often. If you have something to say or share get in touch and we will make it possible. Let’s make this place a fun place as well as a useful place. Email us here anytime you want. Keep in touch.
There are three ways in which you can contact us:
- Use the contact form HERE .
- Email us at admin@mentorsforwomen.com
- Call us on 01708 871310
Q. What sort of memberships are available?
Currently we offer a standard membership and a student membership which is half the price of our standard membership.
Q, Why do I need a Mentor?
Mentoring is about helping others to develop in a positive and more effective way. It is a relationship designed to build confidence and support the person being mentored, (mentee} enabling them to take control of their own development and progress. It is trust-based and confidential, helping people to feel valued, self-fulfilled and rewarded. Women often find it hard to engage a mentor and this is impacts their ability to climb the career ladder. We have some interesting studies about this on our website.
You may not need a mentor all the time, but there will be times in your career where it is very helpful, then where do you go?
Q. Why should I join if I am not looking for a Mentor?
Our vision is very much about creating a space where we can share our stories and our experience, providing women with a platform to share, which will in turn inspire or help someone else. We would love our space to become a one stop shop for resources, help and ideas, as well as a showcase for our work and achievements. Being a member allows you to contribute to that. The website is currently open to all, that may change in the future, with some elements only open to members. Currently being a member will give you reduced rates for training, and we have an awesome programme for training for all members to participate in, not just mentors.
Q. Why do you charge for membership?
We charge because we aim to provide a service to women from all walks of life, and at all stages of their lives. We view Mentors for Women as a place where women can enhance their skills and find the right mentor at a specific points in their careers or their lives. We are not aligned to any other organisation, nor do we receive any funding, and it costs money to provide the service. We decided to provide a more magazine-style interface for our members, providing other places to learn from and helpful links to other organisations. Mentors for Women is a space to grow and a place to learn, our aim is to be The Place for women to go, and our members are very welcome to contribute.
Q. Why do I have to pay for my mentor?
Mentoring may be part of an organisation’s offering to their staff and there is informal mentoring that happens on a day-to-day basis, but often an offer to mentor has no proper boundaries around it and no real objectives to check its effectiveness. It can easily fall off the end of someone’s to-do list simply because of the pressure of their day-to-day job, both on the side of the mentor and the mentee. Mentors for Women wants to make sure both parties are committed to a positive outcome and one way to do that is to set up a contract between two people. Our mentoring contract does just that and the exchange of money completes the contract. Both the mentor and the mentee are vested in a positive outcome.
We are also committed to putting some of the profits we make each year into the “Helga Laura Women’s Foundation”, which supports women who cannot afford to pay for mentoring. Read about our journey to set this up on the website.
We have a package available for corporate organisations which includes the mentoring fee, and we see this as an opportunity for organisations to provide mentoring on a more formal footing. Why not ask you HR department or manager if they would be interested in joining for you?
Q. Does the mentor receive all the money I pay?
Mentors for Women has overheads, the running and development costs of the company. To be successful we want to continue to develop our service and the membership system we have designed, and that costs money. The subscriptions cover part of this but will not allow us to grow. The fee includes VAT and then we take 20% of the remaining fee.
Some mentors have chosen not to receive their fee, in which case that money will go into the Helga Laura Women’s Foundation. Find out about our progress in setting that up the foundation on the website.
Q. What if I get a system error?
If you experience a system error please contact us by email at admin@mentorsforwomen.com and attach a screen print or a description of the issue including any error codes.
Q. How do I find a Mentor?
The drop-down menu has an option Find a Mentor. Simply click on that and you will see three boxes; one for skills, one for sectors, one for name, just in case you know who you want!.
You will be provided with a list and by clicking on a name you will see an overview of that mentor. Once you have found someone you think might be a fit, you can click on the Select button below their name. They will then appear in the section above the choices box, called Selected Mentors. Take your time, you can always Deselect if you find a better fit. You are allowed to go forward with three for an initial chat.
We appreciate this may take a few days, but when you have finished click on the Confirm my three choices box.
Once you have made your choice, we will email the chosen mentors and they will contact you by email to arrange a 15 minute “get to know you” session. Have your questions ready to make the most of that time, and once you have had the sessions go back into the system and make your choice. Enter a start date for your chosen mentor and enter end-dates for those you didn’t choose together with some feedback.
Once in a relationship, you should make sure that they keep the mentoring record up to date, with meeting dates, when they were completed, as well as an update on objectives, and whether or not the mentoring need was met, or even changed.
Q. Why do I have to give feedback?
Feedback is really important for our mentors to help them to understand how they can improve. As well as giving feedback to those mentors who were not the right fit, we want both the mentor and mentee to give each other feedback at the end of the process. It is part of the reflection process, always seeking to improve. It is the mentee’s responsibility to enter the feedback for both parties as they own the mentoring record.
Q. Why has my Mentor not contacted me?
Your mentor should contact you within 2 weeks of your decision to proceed with the relationship. you have any queries, please email us at admin@mentorsforwomen.com
Q. What happens if I want to delete my account?
Should you decide you no longer want to be part of Mentors for Women and your membership is allowed to lapse, your account will remain on the system as a non-member. If you wish to delete your account altogether, please send us your details to admin@mentorsforwomen.com and we will delete your account. We are obliged to keep financial information for several years for audit purposes, but we will deactivate your account and anonymise your data until such time as it can be legally deleted.
Q. How do I join?
Joining is simple. Click here to go to the Membership Page. You don't need all your information to hand straight away. You can return to complete the information later by signing into your account and updating or amending at your leisure.
Things to remember: Find a good photo of yourself. When filling in the details of who you are and what you have done, show the essence of yourself.
For example:
"I am a big believer in family and friends. I worry about things over which I have absolutely no control. I sometimes take silly risks. When I am angry in a situation where I feel out of control it often comes out as tears.”
You should not be afraid to show a bit of who you are if you want to help people or for people to help you.
Visit the website often. If you have something to say or share get in touch and we will make it possible. Let’s make this place a fun place as well as a useful place. Email us here anytime you want. Keep in touch.
Q. How do I become a mentor
To become a mentor, the process is simple and is as follows. There is a drop-down menu in the top right-hand corner underneath your name and your picture. Click on My Account, and you will see the screen below. The final tab on the page is Apply to be a Mentor, click on the tab.
To become a mentor, the process is simple and is as follows. There is a drop-down menu in the top right-hand corner underneath your name and your picture. Click on My Account, and you will see the screen below. The final tab on the page is Apply to be a Mentor, click on the tab.
Once you have clicked on that tab you will see the following screen.
Look at the highlighted box saying Enrol which you should click on to be taken immediately into the enrolment program seen below.
Outlined here are the simple processes you need to follow.
1. Fill out the Mentor Profile page on the Apply to be a Mentor Tab. This is where you will also need to upload your Mentor CV in PDF format. If you are DBS cleared you can choose to upload a copy of your clearance, as evidence, onto your Mentor Profile page. Once you have completed you profile, you come back in here to update the system to say it is complete.
2. The next stage is to complete the Webinar Training and complete the questionnaire at the end of it. It doesn't take very long, and we will advise you of your score by email. You can upload your score on the page above.
3. The final stage will be a meeting with your Mentor Manager, who will already have reviewed your page, and will provide feedback if needed. The Mentor Manager will get in touch with you to arrange a virtual meeting, using Zoom or Teams, whichever is more convenient for you. The conversation will mainly be about your experience and what level you will operate at, and therefore agreeing the charge for your time. Make sure you have looked at the Competencies, so you have some idea of where you fit. We have built the system so that mentors can have a range of rates, depending on needs, and you agree the rate from your range which is most appropriate to the mentee at your short meeting. The mentee will enter that rate, from a list, into their mentoring record when they engage you as a mentor. Remember all rates include VAT, and MfW take 20% towards overheads. If you have a VAT number, you will need to provide us with that at the mentor meeting, then we can ensure that we pay you including VAT.
4. When you have finished working on the screen simply hit the back arrow on your browser and it will take you back to your Apply to be a Mentor tab,
You can access your certification record as often as you need. When you complete sections, we are notified and approve each section. The screen below shows what it looks like on your account page when you have certification in progress. you can see it says View Progress where the enrol box was, simply click on View Progress and it will take you to the detail screen.
1. Fill out the Mentor Profile page on the Apply to be a Mentor Tab. This is where you will also need to upload your Mentor CV in PDF format. If you are DBS cleared you can choose to upload a copy of your clearance, as evidence, onto your Mentor Profile page. Once you have completed you profile, you come back in here to update the system to say it is complete.
2. The next stage is to complete the Webinar Training and complete the questionnaire at the end of it. It doesn't take very long, and we will advise you of your score by email. You can upload your score on the page above.
3. The final stage will be a meeting with your Mentor Manager, who will already have reviewed your page, and will provide feedback if needed. The Mentor Manager will get in touch with you to arrange a virtual meeting, using Zoom or Teams, whichever is more convenient for you. The conversation will mainly be about your experience and what level you will operate at, and therefore agreeing the charge for your time. Make sure you have looked at the Competencies, so you have some idea of where you fit. We have built the system so that mentors can have a range of rates, depending on needs, and you agree the rate from your range which is most appropriate to the mentee at your short meeting. The mentee will enter that rate, from a list, into their mentoring record when they engage you as a mentor. Remember all rates include VAT, and MfW take 20% towards overheads. If you have a VAT number, you will need to provide us with that at the mentor meeting, then we can ensure that we pay you including VAT.
4. When you have finished working on the screen simply hit the back arrow on your browser and it will take you back to your Apply to be a Mentor tab,
You can access your certification record as often as you need. When you complete sections, we are notified and approve each section. The screen below shows what it looks like on your account page when you have certification in progress. you can see it says View Progress where the enrol box was, simply click on View Progress and it will take you to the detail screen.
Once you are enrolled and your start date agreed, you will have a tab which says Mentor Profile instead of Apply to be a Mentor. Keep you profile up to date. Remember if you want to pause mentoring for any reason, you can do that in your profile. Once live on the system, when members search for a mentor, you will appear in their list to review, if you match their criteria. They can click on you to review your details, which looks like the picture below. It does not show any personal data, but they can download your PDF CV, so make sure it is appropriate, with no personal information on it. Likewise, when you get an email to say that you have be chosen by a mentor for a short chat, you can go into the system and pull up a similar page about that member. This should help you prepare for your short meeting.
