The CIRES mentoring program is an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, insights, experience and support navigating the CIRES-NOAA ecosystem. The CIRES mentoring program is targeted to CIRES employees of all career stages, through a mentoring partnership with another CIRES or NOAA colleague.
It is hoped that mentees increase their sense of belonging, and that CIRES and the program fosters professional growth.
Mentees and mentors are expected to meet regularly with a minimum of once a month for one hour. While we recognize that these interactions are better suited to in person meetings, Due to the hybrid nature of our workplace, we anticipate that monthly meetings between mentors and mentees may take place virtually or in person, based on each member’s preferred venue. We expect all participants to respect each other’s choices.
Each mentor-mentee pair will work through a Mentor Agreement form to identify goals for the pairing. It is up to both the mentor and the mentee to decide whether or not they wish to continue communicating after the eight-month mentoring period is over
Mentees will complete a quick application form to build a profile of their interests in the program and what they hope to gain from working with a mentor. Mentees will be asked to rank specific areas in which they would like to be mentored. The program will match, where possible, mentees with mentors who have expressed interest in mentoring to these topics. Mentees will review and select their preferred mentor from a subset of best matched. Mentors will be asked to confirm the mentoring request within 72 hours. Should the mentor not confirm the request within this time frame, the mentee will be free to select another mentor.
Mentors and mentees will be paired for 8 months from October to May. Program outcomes are best reached with consistent and regular check-ins. Mentees are asked to meet with their mentor monthly for approximately 60 minutes.
It is expected that mentees will reach out to their mentor to schedule the initial meeting within one week from successful pairing. After the first meeting, the mentor and mentee should establish a regular schedule to meet and discuss progress.