What's involved?

Students:

All students from across the University are welcome to apply, international students too – we have plenty of English-speaking mentors. Mentoring is ideal for students who are not in the very early stages of their university journey.

Mentors:

We welcome mentors from all industries and sectors, at any level and stage of their career. You can be a mentor if you're an alumnus or simply a friend of the University – there's no requirement to have studied with us. You can also be based outside of Örebro, more than half of our mentors come from other parts of Sweden and overseas.

The application window for both students and mentors opens in September, and closes on Monday, October 14th.

The University handles all matches.

After the application period closes, we carefully review all student and mentor profiles. We make matches based on the details submitted in applications – e.g. education history, professional and industry interests (for students) and experience (for mentors). We also consider any language preferences as well as any types of general experience students have selected of interest.

Matches are typically made during weeks 42 and 43.

We do our best to match as many people as possible, but we are unlikely to be able to match everyone who applies.

Make sure your profile is as detailed as possible. For example, if you're a mentor list all the industries and professions you've worked in. If you're a student, include all the areas you're interested in. The more information you provide, the more likely we are to find a suitable match for you.

Note: Adding a photo to your profile won’t affect the matching process, but it does make your profile look more professional and welcoming to your future partner.

If you’re matched, we’ll email you during weeks 42 or 43 with details and an invitation to the Kick Off event.

In some cases, we may contact you in the weeks after this if a spot opens up because someone has dropped out, or a new student/mentor has been accepted into the program after the deadline.

For the majority of pairings, yes.

However, given inevitable variations between the pool of mentors available and the profiles of student applications there are always some matches that are more general in nature.

In these cases, while the match may not be an exact fit, there is enough common ground for meaningful mentoring. Feedback from previous years shows that these broader pairings also result in an enjoyable mentoring experience, with discussions exploring topics such as leadership, networking, stress management, interview techniques, trends in economics and society, and much more.

The mentoring program runs from late October to April. Most participants meet once a month for 1 to 2 hours.

Just over half of meetings are held digitally (via Teams, Zoom, etc.), and the rest usually take place on campus, at a café or mentor’s workplace. The frequency and format of your meetings is entirely up to you and your mentoring partner – although if the mentor is based outside of Örebro then meetings are likely to be digital.

The Kick-Off is a lecture (in Swedish) followed by a fika and mingle session, it takes place on campus on Monday November 4th. During the lecture, we’ll discuss coaching and mentoring – both the theory and how you can apply it in practice, and there will be tips to help you get the most out of your experience.

If you’re unable to attend then that’s not a problem – the event is filmed and released online the week after. We also create an English version of the Kick Off for participants who don’t speak Swedish.

We host an After-Work in January, typically in a pub in central Örebro. It’s a great opportunity to network, share your mentoring experiences, make new contacts, and keep up your momentum after the holiday season. We provide the snacks and encourage networking – you bring the enthusiasm and chat!

Your first meeting is usually about getting to know each other and exploring what topics you want to focus on during your mentoring journey.

The areas of discussion vary widely based on what the student finds important or interesting, and the mentor’s background. Some common topics include:

• Industry news or trends
• Leadership styles
• Interview and presentation techniques
• Career paths
• Broader economic or social trends
• Job hunting tips
• LinkedIn profiles
• Networking opportunities
• Strengths and weaknesses analysis

Some pairs dive deeper into specific subjects related to the student’s field of study, career, or industry. Others might focus on challenges the student is facing or provide feedback on ideas the student is considering. Occasionally, mentors invite students to shadow them for a day at work or attend a typical work meeting.

Each mentoring pair will develop its own unique set of priorities and discussion topics – there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to approach it.

To help you plan and prepare ahead of each meeting, we recommend that you agree what you’ll talk about at the end of the prior meeting. This gives you both time to read up on a subject, think about potential questions or answers, and generally make the most of your time together.

The two key ingredients for a successful mentoring experience are communication and engagement.

• Communication: Stay in regular contact with your mentoring partner. A simple email or text every couple of weeks can go a long way. Make sure to openly and honestly engage during your meetings.
• Engagement: Dedicate a few hours each month to prepare for your meetings. Think about the questions you want to ask, how you might expand on the topic and how you can contribute to the conversation. Be fully present and listen carefully to your partner.

By focusing on communication and engagement, you’ll get the most out of your mentoring experience, creating a rewarding relationship for both mentor and student.

No, there’s no financial compensation for taking part in Mentor Match.

Of course taking part can be very rewarding for both mentors and students in terms of developing your personal competencies, expanding your network, sharing your experience and learning from others. Taking part in Mentor Match is an investment in both your own and your partners personal and professional development. And it’s fun too!

We very much appreciate the time and commitment shown by our mentors, as well as the enthusiasm and motivation of our students.

At the end of each season we ask participants to complete an online evaluation. For example, our evaluation of the 2023/24 season showed that:

• 95% of participants would recommend Mentor Match to others.
• Our mentors came from 16 different countries and represented 131 different organizations.
• Most pairs met 5-6 times, with each meeting lasting 1-2 hours.
• 55% of meetings were digital, while 45% were in-person.
• 78% of mentors would consider mentoring again.
• 87% of mentors were alumni.
• About 54% of mentors came from outside Örebro County.

Both students and mentors are eligible for a certificate of participation if they complete the mentoring and the evaluation survey. Certificates are sent out in June following the evaluation.

Absolutely. Students are welcome to enroll again if they are still studying with the University.

Mentors are warmly welcome to take part again – the mentoring experience is different each year as every student has different interests, challenges and approaches to their mentoring.

As we’ve been running Mentor Match for about 7 years, we even have some previous student participants who have enrolled as mentors! 😀