MENTOR FAQ
Mentoring is a great way to give back to the industry that you know and love. On a personal level, it’s your opportunity to guide and encourage new talent along a career path and help pave their way to success. On an industry level, it’s an important contribution to helping attract and retain new talent in BC’s construction industry. Mentorship can also benefit your company, by showing leadership and interest in supporting the next generation of workers.
Only half an hour a month, if that’s what works best for you and your mentee. Your chats can be in person or virtual, and the commitment is flexible in terms of time period. You can choose a six month or twelve-month mentorship.
No. You’ll do most of your mentoring virtually. When it’s possible and appropriate, a face-to-face meeting can be great. As long as you have access to email and a video tool like Zoom or Teams, you’re all set to mentor. We encourage you to check with your Mentee to figure out what kind of communication channel will be most useful and comfortable.
The mentees are all 18 years old or more and living in British Columbia. They all have expressed an interest in a construction career, and are all looking for help finding their way. We’ll do our best to match you with someone looking for your skills, and experiences, and in some cases also your shared personal history. If its requested, we’ll match genders, races, trades, locations in BC, and/or other specifics, but it isn’t always possible, necessary, or even beneficial.
Well, we hope you’ll trust us and give it a try. But if you feel strongly, you have the right to request another match: we’ll ask you for some insights that will help us do a better matching job the next time.
Mostly listen. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to listen to your mentee, and do your best to contribute to their career development by sharing your advice and experience. If they have goals already, help them get there. If they don’t quite know where they’re going, see if you can help them figure it out.
Most often your mentee will be looking for specific feedback related to finding jobs, career advice, getting certified, acquiring technical skills, and navigating professional challenges such as how to ask to be apprenticed or for a raise.
No – but if you want to, we’ll contribute to the cost of their wages.
We hope this won’t happen, but we also understand that life can be unpredictable. If you have to leave before your six or 12 month commitment is up, we ask for a month’s notice so we can do our best to find another mentor with similar experience and background.
Our team is here to support you both along the way, and we do everything we can to make sure it’s a positive experience. If you have any concerns about how it’s going, get in touch with the Building Builders team member assigned to you right away. If necessary, we will provide full support in closing the mentorship relationship in a healthy and constructive manner.
No. Just 10 or more years working in the construction industry.
