Mentor FAQs
What are the qualifications for becoming a mentor?
You have spent your professional time practicing UX design, research, and/or strategy, or other related disciplines in the UX field.
You have the desire to help others, in this case, by giving your mentee's career momentum.
You want to challenge yourself, and further develop your leadership and other professional skills.
Even if you've just landed your first job in UX, you can still be a mentor. Your experience and insights will be valuable for someone who's still trying to break in. Additionally, you will grow and learn from your experience as a mentor. We will find a mentee for you!
What are my obligations if I take part?
Attend Program Orientation. Mentors and mentees meet virtually! The exact date and invitation will be informed at a later time.
Join our Slack Channel. Our private Slack channel is the main way we'll communicate as a group. This includes the sharing of articles, local events, job postings, general knowledge, and more. You will receive a Slack invitation shortly before Orientation.
Beyond these, it will be up to you and your mentee to shape your participation and experience in the program. If your mentee is shy, try starting small. Ask them to meet for coffee, to join you at an NYC UXPA event, or just send them an interesting article. We find that each mentor/mentee pair has a unique dynamic, based on the mentee's goals.
What do you recommend I do with my mentee as part of this four-month program?
Keep your mentee's goals in mind, and guide them further in the right direction.
For example, suggest books, websites or events of interest to your mentee.
Share your perspective on a wide range of topics.
These might include:
networking
identifying opportunities
innovation
hiring practices
your work experience
company structure
managing client relationships
workflow
tools of the trade
productivity
impact of your work
offering support and encouragement when appropriate
We don't recommend:
Doing your mentee's work for them.
Giving your mentee grunt work.
Giving your mentee feedback that may interfere with their professional workflow or workplace politics.
Sharing sensitive information from your own practice.
What will I get from participating in this program?
Besides giving back and contributing to the UX community, benefits include:
One year membership to NYC UXPA (including early registration and discounted rates for NYC UXPA events).
Opportunities to meet and interact with other mentors and mentees from all areas of UX.
Chances to further hone your leadership skills. For example, you'll have opportunities to lead discussions or presentations at our meetups.
How am I matched to a mentee?
We do our best to find a matching mentee based on information in your application. The application will ask for your interests, experience, availability, communication preferences, and more.
Before the cohort begins, we will let you know who we think would benefit most from your experience and interests.
Once you and your mentor approve the match, we'll introduce you via email, prior to the cohort start date.
What if things don't work out with this program?
Sometimes it's not a perfect match... Or sometimes, life happens and you need to cut back on your commitments. But we're here to help. Email us at mentorship@nycuxpa.org, and we'll help you figure out the best solution.