Select Your Mentor
We’ve put together a group of amazing accomplished women who are looking forward to meeting you and answering your questions.
INTRODUCTORY EMAIL SUGGESTIONS
Sending an introductory email to a potential mentor might be a little intimidating. But here are a few guidelines you can use to make sure your message is polite, professional and has all the necessary information.
Think of professional communications the way you think about talking to your teachers and coaches. Mentors are regular people too, just like other adults in your life. When you write your introductory email, be yourself, but a more formal version of yourself.
Start with an introduction and why you are writing. And perhaps include something you have in common or something you admire about the person.
Hi, my name is Amanda Ambassador and I’m interested in scheduling a WiST mentor meeting with you. I notice that we’re both from the Bay Area.
Hi my name is Amanda Ambassador and I saw in your bio that you are a runner. I’m a runner too! I’m interested in scheduling a WiST mentor meeting with you.
You might also want to include:
Your name, where you go to school and when you will graduate
Your sport or your favorite sport to follow
What interests you about Sports Tech
Why you selected this Mentor to contact
Your availability:
Rather than suggesting a specific time, you’ll want to be more general to give your mentor some choices and be sure to indicate your time zone as our mentors live all over the U.S. and Canada. It’s generally not appropriate to ask for time outside of standard business hours in your contact person’s time zone.
I’m available every day after 4pm eastern time
I have a lot of flexibility on Fridays between 2pm-5pm pacific time.
Be sure to close your email professionally using Sincerely, or Best Wishes, or Thank you.
Watch your email for a response. If you reach out by email, the person will usually respond by email. Be sure to check your email regularly. Most professionals will usually respond within 2-3 days but they may be traveling or be unusually busy. If you haven’t heard back within 5 business days it’s ok to follow up with a second email.
WHAT TO TALK ABOUT WITH YOUR MENTOR
So you and your NGAP mentor agreed on a time to talk. Great!
But what should you talk about? You should think of this meeting as an information gathering session where you can get a fresh perspective on any decisions or challenges you’re working on right now.
You should plan to spend the first 10 minutes or so getting to know each other better. One good way to do this is to review the person’s LinkedIn profile and ask a question about something you read there. You can also ask questions like:
What’s something that you’re working on now that you’re excited about?
How did you find out about/get involved with WiST? (and you can tell them why you decided to participate in the WiST NextGen Ambassador Program)
Some of our mentor volunteers are in college or pursuing higher degrees. Here are some questions you can ask them:
Why did you decide to go to your college?
Where else did you apply?
What, if anything, would you have done differently during the application process?
How did you choose your major?
What surprised you most about college?
Did you want to continue playing your sport in college or beyond? Did you? Why or why not?
What were some challenges you faced in college?
What skills have been most beneficial for you?
What was your first job/internship experience? How did you get it? Was it valuable? What did it teach you?
We also have mentor volunteers who are in the early stages of their careers. Here are some questions you might ask them:
How is working different from being in school?
What was your major and does it apply to what you’re doing now?
What did you think you wanted to do when you graduated from high school? Is that what you are doing now? Why or why not?
What skills did you develop in high school/college that are most helpful to you now?
Do you have a mentor?
Did you play a sport in high school and/or college? What impact did that have on you/your career?
THANK YOU NOTES RECOMMENDED
After your conversation, it is polite to send a thank you email within 24 hours, thanking the person for their time. Also, if you haven’t already done it, you can also send a request to connect with them on LinkedIn.
Here’s what your thank your thank you email could contain:
Greeting
Thank them for their time
Something specific about the conversation that you found interesting or helpful
I especially appreciated your insights on attending a college where I could continue playing volleyball.
Your thoughts on pursuing an engineering major were extremely helpful.
A brief follow up comment if applicable
I hope your presentation next week goes well
As we discussed, I’d like to call you again after I’ve had a chance to talk with my guidance counselor
Professional closing