8 Helpful Tips as a Mentor via ADPList

It is my belief that we all deserve to work and receive income that will allow us to live a sustainable and balanced lifestyle so I have found mentoring at ADPList to be incredibly rewarding. I've been able to provide an opportunity to share my insights on how I landed my first job in UX Research, and be able to help anyone who might be feeling lost while trying to navigate our industry for the first time.

If you are considering becoming a Mentor via ADPList, I've curated a list of helpful tips based on my personal experience as a mentor.

1. Prioritize how much you can give. Like any volunteer-based program, it is important to understand that ADPList is just an online tool that will allow you to connect with others, and it is still up to you to prioritize how much you can give and how often!

2. Figure out what kind of mentor you want to be. My main goal with starting at ADPList was to help people that were hoping to land their first job in UX so I offered that within my profile settings.

3. Decide what subject(s) you want to provide guidance on. Make sure to choose your niche before signing up and decide what kind of mentor you want to be so you can be confident that the session requests you receive will align with your niche. For example, if you know you can provide helpful resume or portfolio feedback, you can register under that topic so mentees will know how to find you.

4. ADPList's default setting connects you with mentees within thirty minutes increments. If you'd prefer to cultivate more of a "coaching" program then you can set up long-term sessions that will allow you to meet as often as you want.

5. Don't be too hard on yourself. If you choose to do longer term sessions with specific mentees that are looking for interview tips or portfolio feedback, please remember that it is not your responsibility for them to land a job! You are simply just providing additional resources that will hopefully help them find work, and it is not a failure on your part if landing a job takes longer than expected for them.

6. There is no responsibility from either side (other than being kind and respectful). You may not hear back from someone or they might cancel sessions last minute due to overbooking in their own lives so try not to take it personally. You're more than welcome to ask for any feedback they may have if you are hoping to receive more insights.

7. REMEMBER TO TAKE BREAKS! It is not selfish to take breaks from mentoring and there is a button that will let people know you're currently on a break from mentoring. I took a bit of a hiatus when I was laid off at the beginning of the year because I wanted to avoid giving off any negativity while I was looking for my next long-term position. Life can be tricky and I want to make sure I can offer them a positive outlook on the work and our industry.

8. Try before you decide. If you are considering becoming a mentor but aren't quite sure about your timeline, you can definitely set up a few meetings to see if it works for you and your schedule!

I hope this list is helpful and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions.

Thank you and talk soon,

Elizabeth Turnell