Frequently Asked Questions

The primary requirement is a desire to share knowledge and experience with a student who is ready to enter the professional world.

Mentors are required to fill out a short application prior to being matched. GMI uses these answers to identify a good student match for the mentorship. Mentors are also expected to watch a 20-minute orientation video which explains how to use GMI’s materials to facilitate an impactful mentorship with limited prep time.

• Mentor candidates should be at least 25 years old and/or have 3+ years of professional experience in their chosen field.
• Mentor candidates must provide proof of a background check, either through their current employer or independently via First Advantage.

Mentors will guide their students through 12 one-hour mentorship sessions via video conference, following GMI’s easy-to-follow Mentor Guide.

Please complete mentor application form here.

Completing the form takes about 2 minutes and allows the GMI Operations Team to identify well-matched student-mentor pairs.

GMI partners with companies who provide quality mentors, sponsor students, and provide employment opportunities for program graduates. For more information about amplifying our social impact through partnership, please contact GMI’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Ravenna Hennane: ravenna.hennane@globalmentorship.org.

Students are nominated by GMI’s global network of youth partners, operating locally in over 100 countries.

Students must be in the final or second-to-last year of a degree-seeking program, with limited or no prior work experience, preparing to land their first career job. GMI strives to provide additional support to bright, motivated students coming from historically underserved communities, as identified by our local partners.

GMI students include first generation college students, recipients of need-based financial aid, refugees, young women in tech, and other groups who could benefit from the GMI program.

GMI has designed a program which makes it easy for anyone to be a great mentor. You don’t need to be an expert, just follow the GMI Mentor Guide and add your own personal experience. Mentors are often surprised at how much they learn from the GMI program.

Your commitment as a mentor:

• Watch our 20-minute mentor orientation video.
• Complete 12 one-hour mentoring sessions weekly or bi-weekly.
• Mentors typically report needing 15-45 minutes per week for session prep and follow-up.

GMI will provide instructions for how to engage with your student. Introduce yourself following notification of a match and agree on when to meet for your first session. GMI provides email templates to communicate with your student to reduce your time commitment.

• Partnering with GMI can provide cost-effective, prequalified candidates for employment.
• Early access to mentored students before they graduate.
• Shortens the time to full productivity for newly hired employees.
• Promotes diversity in the organization.
• Increased employee purpose and skills development for mentors.
• Contributes to social responsibility commitments (United Nations SDGs 4,5,8, and 10).

GMI provides everything you need to guide your student.
You don’t need to be an expert, just follow the Mentor Guide and add your own personal experience.

Mentorship resources include:

• The GMI Mentor Guide
• Training on how to be a great mentor
• Email templates for communicating with your student every week
• All materials the student uses during the mentorship

70% of the mentorship is focused on helping a student prepare to get their first career job. 30% is dedicated to helping them excel in their first job and understanding how to thrive in the business world.

Topics include:

• Establishing a professional business network using LinkedIn and creating a unique personal brand to attract job recruiters.
• Creating a career plan and setting measurable goals.
• Developing specific soft skills to excel in business.
• Effective communications when working in a global business environment.
• Creating a resume/CV that gets noticed using keywords.
• How to find the right job.
• Communication templates and guides for conducting a job search.
• Mastering the job interview process.
• How companies evaluate their employees and how to distinguish yourself on the job.

Students are provided with study materials for each session to help them learn and adopt GMI business tools. Over 50 guides and templates are available to students. This includes advanced LinkedIn training to help them build their business network and 10 templates for how to make LinkedIn business connections.

• Helping mentees find and prepare for a career job.
• A developed career plan for every mentored graduate.
• At least 5 job interviews lined up before graduating for every student.
• At least 200 professional business contacts for every student.
• Develop a global business network to support mentored students.
• Provide GMI business partners with qualified, pre-screened candidates.
• Make a positive impact in communities around the world through mentorship.

Your formal mentorship will end after 12 sessions. As a mentor, you can decide if you want to continue with informal ad hoc discussions with the student after the mentorship concludes. You are under no obligation or expectation to continue the relationship.