Mentee FAQs
What is the mentoring programme for?
ExRe is 6 month mentoring programme with a speculative design / futures practitioner designed to build community, encourage open discourse and facilitate the transition into speculative design practice.
What are the requirements for being a mentee?
The scheme is open to students/graduates of design-related courses that utilise speculative design. They are required to be undertaking a degree or to be within 2 years of graduation. Mentees should have a keen interest in entering speculative design practice.
When does the 6 month scheme start and finish?
1st June - 1st Dec 2023
What is the intended outcome?
This agreement is informal, and generous in its intent. The goals and intentions for the scheme will be set by each pairing individually in their first session. Previous mentors have;
advised the mentee on their graduate project
provided business/industry expertise
offered support regarding connections and networking
provided a space for mutual discussion
collaborated on a project
facilitated the writing of a business plan
What do I do if I feel the arrangement is not/no longer suitable?
If for any reason, the mentorship programme is no longer suitable for you and you wish to terminate this, we ask that you inform us, and your mentor in a timely and professional manner.
Is it free of charge?
YES, it is FREE OF CHARGE. All organisers and mentors are volunteers, donating their time and expertise.
Who is the mentorship scheme for?
The scheme is open to students/graduates of design-related courses that utilise speculative design. They are required to be undertaking a degree or to have be within 2 years of graduation.
In future years we are also hoping to accept applications from those with no higher education experience of speculative design but are instead self-taught.
Will the be an opportunity to connect with other mentees?
YES, there are a number of online community and networking events planned. See ‘community’ section above.
How many times should we meet our mentors?
We recommend a minimum of one point of contact per month. So you can expect approximately 6 engagements with your mentor; such as a phone call, an online meeting etc. An example structure is provided, however free to determine a structure which ultimately suits your dynamic best.
How will I be assigned to my mentor?
ExRe will work with mentors to identify a suitable match based on availability and volume, as well as specialisms, interests, capacity and time zones.
Do I have any commitments to ExRe2023?
YES.
We ask that you and your mentor you ensure the completion of the ‘ExRe2023 intentions’ form in your first meeting as well as the ‘ExRe2023 programme review’ form in your final session. These should be filed with ExRe and help to create a manageable structure to follow.
The programme is considered complete upon the submission of a 3min video outlining the experiences of the partnership.
Partnerships are required to provide feedback at the end of the programme also, to help build resilience and inform improvements.
Do I get any proof of participation?
YES all students that actively engage with their mentor for the 6 month programme will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Community
As a mentor you will have access to a slack workspace where #ExRe2023 participants can introduce themselves, share projects and opportunities, discuss ideas and ask questions. As well as LinkedIN, where you can engage with the connections, mentors can register themselves as a collaborator the Experimental Realism organisation. We also encourage the cohorts to set up Whatsapp groups or similar.
There are a range of online networking and sharing opportunities also, see suggested schedule below.
Suggested structure
[1] June - introductions and setting intentions [to be ‘filed’ with ExRe]
[2] July - discuss and progress with intentions set
[3] August - discuss and progress with intentions set
[4] September - discuss and progress with intentions set
[5] October - discuss and progress with intentions set
[6] November - Close out meeting and review [to be ‘filed’ with ExRe]
What does a good mentoring relationship look like:
At ExRe we believe that a good mentor is an honest and trusted critical friend, available to provide transparent advice, delivered in a personal, supportive and inclusive manner. A good mentor is emotionally intelligent, forthcoming when sharing their own experiences (strengths and weaknesses) and assumes nothing about the mentee, rather, asking questions to ensure they see things from the other persons perspective.
At ExRe we believe that a good mentee is committed to the process, a good listener, proactive, reflective, ambitious, eager and willing to learn.
Every mentor/mentee relationship, is unique. When you first start out, it’s important to take the time to assess your own styles of communication, and think about what kind of commitment you can each realistically make. By setting and sharing these expectations together in the very beginning, you will ensure that the relationship is transparent, equal and designed to suit both your needs.
A mentor/mentee relationship is a very personal one. Over 6 months you will get to know each other well, in order to give and receive helpful, nuanced and targeted advice/feedback you need to connect on a personal level.
It is important to recgonise the power of the two-way discourse, acknowledging that the mentor will not always have ‘the answer’ and the mentee is not obliged to ‘take the advice’ - this process is one of co-discovery. From a good mentor/mentee relationship both parties will benefit, learn and grow from the experience.