FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions - Answered

What is a mentor?

A mentor is a trusted person who is willing to spend time supporting another individual to share their experiences and skills and to guide you in areas that you may wish to develop, such as specific knowledge in a given area, career development, or leadership skills, or to help build you network. A mentor can be a great sounding board to help you on in your current role or your career plan.

How much of my time will it take up?

We usually suggest a commitment of one hour per month for a 3-6 month period, depending on the needs of the mentee. When you come to the end of the sessions agreed, review your progress and both parties should agree whether you wish to continue, or whether you have come to a natural end.

How am I matched with a mentor?

Through our matching process we review the needs of the mentee and look for a mentor to pair with. This could be based on skills or experience. The more information you provide us with the easier it is for us to match you together.

How long is the matching process?

From closing of the recruitment window, we aim to complete all our pairings within one month, after which emails will be sent to successful candidates (mentors and mentees)

Who can apply to be a mentor/mentee?

Mentors can apply to be a mentor as long as you have 3 years or more experience in the food industry, and you have time to commit to the scheme.

Mentees must be over the age of 18 studying towards a career in the food industry or working in the industry, with any amount of experience.

How do I apply?

Please visit the website page for be a mentee / be a mentor where you will find instructions on how to apply.

What happens if I don’t hear from my mentee or mentor?

If you don’t hear anything from your pairing, then please drop them an email just in case our pairing email has gone into their junk. Everyone is always busy so please don’t expect that your partner will be able to respond immediately, but if you haven’t heard from them after a couple of weeks and a couple of emails please let us know and we will do what can to help.

How do I know if I have been successful?

If you are successful in your application and we have found you a suitable pairing you will receive an email from the flourish in food team to introduce you to your partner (pls check your junk email). From this point, you should reach out to them and you don’t need to keep us involved. If you have not received an email, then it may be that your application has not been successful this time, or that we dont have a match for you currently. Make sure you review your application to be the best it can be at the next opportunity which will help us find your ideal match and ensure we really understand your skills or needs.

Why haven’t I been paired?

There could be a few reasons why we are unable to pair you:

Quality of application - We value the time of all our mentors and mentees. To help support the quality of the pairing, we have a quality review process of all applications, which means not all applicants will be successful. We recommend you take time to complete the application form and take it seriously, really thinking about what skills you can offer as a mentor, or what you hope to gain from being a mentee. Applicants also must meet the application criteria.
No Suitable Match - we try to pair based on the mentor skills and mentee needs which means we cant always find a suitable match for all applicants. In these instances, we would recommend you reapply, although we do hold details on file for future use (if you have ticked the box to say you are happy for us to do so)

How do I get the best out of having a mentor?

To help focus your areas of development, use our mentoring guide to give you some ideas of where to start. You have made the first step by applying to the scheme. Once you have been paired with someone take time to focus and think about what you need. We would recommend the following steps:

plan a rough outline of what you want to cover before each session and prepare some questions
be responsible for your own development - your mentor is there just to advise, you are there to do the work
be open, honest and willing to trust your mentor’s advice
expect to be challenged and pushed out of your comfort zone – this is how you develop skills
expect to make some mistakes - you will learn from them
remember your mentor is volunteering their time so never waste it
try to see things from a new perspective – your mentor may be of a different gender or culture, so be respectful of difference
be open to feedback and willing to talk about it, if you disagree – mentors are there to learn from you too

What happens if I don’t feel my mentor can support in the areas I am looking for mentor support?

We try to ensure we match your needs as close as possible based on the information you provide on your application and the skills the mentor has to offer. If you really feel that the partnership is not right for some reason, please let us know but we suggest that you let your mentor know first.

Can I reapply to be a mentee / mentor?

We are happy for mentors and mentees to reapply, please just ensure you have the required time to commit.

Should I tell my employer that I have applied for the scheme and have a mentor?

We would always encourage mentees to share with their employer / line manager that you have applied for the scheme so that you can share some of your progress with them and gain their support, however we also understand that some individuals may not want to share this information. It’s really down to you to make the decision.

Does a mentor need to have more experience/be older than the mentee?

There are no specific rules about who can be a mentor, and the best mentor can often depend on the mentees specific needs. It could be someone who has a more experience than the mentee, or someone who has gained wisdom through their experiences, or someone who has a desire to help you develop in your career.

If your question has not been answered, please email flourishinfoodmentoring@gmail.com or contact us on social media.