Are you interested in having a personal mentor from your field who can help you on your path to becoming a relevant job? If so, be sure to read this article carefully. Here you’ll find information about what you can expect from the mentoring program and what we expect from you.
What does it mean to have a mentor?
A mentor is a volunteer who has experience in the Norwegian workforce and wants to help you on your path to a relevant job. Mentors are not experts, but volunteers who can help with certain things. We try to match you with a mentor from a similar field, but sometimes we also make cross-disciplinary matches where the mentor has general experience in HR, management, or the Norwegian workforce.
If you are matched with a mentor, you will meet 1–4 times a month for six months. You decide for yourselves what you want to discuss, as well as where and when you meet. As the job seeker, you have primary responsibility for the process, but we’ll help you along the way.
Please note: You are not guaranteed a mentor even if you are a member of Sammen om en jobb, and even if you are assigned a mentor, you are not guaranteed a job.
Do I meet the criteria to get a mentor?
To be eligible for a mentor, you must meet the following criteria:
● You came to Norway from another country on your own
● Higher education (minimum bachelor's degree)
● Looking for a " relevant job " in Norway
● Norwegian at least at level B1 or English at least at level B2
● A residence permit in Norway valid for at least 9 months from now
In addition to these criteria, we have certain expectations of you as a participant in the program.
What is expected of me as a participant in the mentoring program?
As a participant in the program, we expect you to:
● Meet with your mentor 1–4 times a month
● Write a brief summary of each meeting
● Attend one event per month
● Actively participate in the digital community
● Complete three surveys
● Spend at least 7 hours a week looking for a job
If you are unable to meet all of these expectations but have a valid reason, please contact us.
How likely is it that I'll get a mentor?
Even if you meet the criteria and expectations listed above, you are not guaranteed a mentor. Whether we can find a mentor for you depends on how many mentors we have, how well they match your background, and our capacity. If you are open to a virtual mentor or a mentor from a different field, it may be easier, but you are still not guaranteed a mentor. If you’re lucky enough to get a mentor, it might happen quickly, but it could also take a long time. The typical wait time is 1–3 months.
While you’re waiting for a mentor—or if you don’t end up getting one—you can still get a lot out of the Learning and Networking Community. It’s important that you don’t just sit back passively, but do everything you can to make progress on your own.
Does the mentoring program increase your chances of getting a job?
30% secure a relevant job during the program, and 50% within six months after the program ends. Although these are good results, the program does not guarantee that you will get a job. Your success will depend on your industry, luck, and—most of all—your own efforts. Those who take the initiative and actively participate in the mentoring program are more successful. Working with a mentor is a fantastic opportunity to get support and advice during the job search process, but remember that you are the one who is responsible and must take the lead.
What can a mentor help with?
It’s important to remember that mentors can’t help with everything, but they can be valuable discussion partners who have a lot to offer. Typical topics often discussed with a mentor include resumes, job applications, interview practice, Norwegian work culture, and networking. For a complete list of topics that may be relevant to discuss with your mentor, see our job search courses.
What can't a mentor help with?
All mentors participate on a volunteer basis, either in their free time or through a corporate partnership. Therefore, there are some things they cannot or should not help with. These include:
● Getting a job or an internship at the company where the mentor works
● Questions not related to job hunting or the Norwegian workforce (e.g., visas, personal circumstances, etc.)
● Psychological or financial challenges
Also keep in mind that a mentor doesn’t know everything about job hunting and the Norwegian job market, so there’s no guarantee that your mentor will be able to help you with every specific issue, such as networking, resumes, etc. If you have job-hunting needs that your mentor can’t help you with, you might be able to get help from the Learning and Networking Community.
What does a typical mentoring session look like?
You decide for yourselves where and when to meet, and what to talk about. Some meet online, while others meet at a library, a café, the mentor’s workplace, or other locations. A meeting typically lasts about an hour, and it’s important that you do thorough preparation and follow-up work. As a job seeker, you have the primary responsibility for moving the process forward and planning the meetings.
To help you structure the mentoring process, we’ve created a template that includes 24 relevant topics. Each topic includes tools, exercises, and sample agendas that you can use in your meetings, making it quick and easy to plan effective meetings.
What does the connection process look like?
If you have become a member of Sammen om en jobb and have registered in the digital community, we’ll start by trying to find a suitable mentor for you. This may take just a few days, several months, or we may not be able to find a mentor at all.
If we find a mentor who we think is a good fit for your background, we’ll contact both of you by phone and introduce the other person’s background. If both of you think it sounds like a good match, you’ll be invited to a no-obligation introductory meeting to get to know each other better and clarify expectations. After the introductory meeting, we’ll call you separately, and if both of you wish to proceed, you’ll officially begin the mentoring program. If one or both of you do not wish to proceed, we’ll start the entire process over and try to find a new match.
What is self-coupling?
Self-matching is a feature you can see within the digital platform, but it is not yet fully developed. Once it is ready, you will be able to find a mentor and propose a collaboration on your own. We expect to have self-matching ready by fall 2024. In the meantime, we are working manually to find a mentor for you.
Do you have any other questions?
If you have any other questions, please contact us at kontakt@sammenomenjobb.no