Self Matching for mentees
Table of Contents
What is Self Matching?
Self Matching means you choose the mentor you want to be matched with, rather than being matched by a program manager.
With MentorKey, you can:
- Browse a list of available mentors
- Read about their experience and interests
- Send a request to the mentor you’d like to work with
Note: Whether self matching is available depends on how your program has been set up by your administrators.
Requesting a mentor
Self matching allows you to browse available mentors and send a request to the mentor you’d like to be matched with.
Browsing mentors
To start, you can browse a list of mentors who are currently available in the program.
From the "Find a Mentor" page, you can:
- View mentor profiles
- Read about their experience and areas of expertise
Here is how you can browse through the list of available mentors and read their profiles:
Sending a request to a mentor
Once you’ve found a mentor you’d like to connect with, you can send them a request.
Here is how you send a request to be matched with a mentor:
Note: You can have one active mentor request at a time.
Mentors have up to 7 days to respond. If there’s no response after this time, your request will automatically expire and you can request another mentor.
Viewing your request
If you’ve already sent a request, you can view it on the "View requests" page. From here, you can see the mentor you’ve requested and cancel the request if needed.
Here’s how to view your request:
Cancelling a request
If your request is still waiting for a response and you no longer want to proceed, you can cancel it.
Here is how you cancel a request:
Finding another mentor
If the mentor you requested is not currently available or you cancel the request, you can look for another mentor by first browsing mentors and then sending a request.
Reviewing requests from mentors
If mentors can request mentees in your program, you may receive requests from mentors. You can review and respond to these before starting a mentoring partnership.
Reviewing requests
You can view incoming mentor requests from the "Requests" page.
Here is how you review requests:
Accepting or declining requests
After reviewing a request, you can choose to accept or decline it.
- Accepting a request starts a mentoring partnership with that mentor.
- Declining a request lets the mentor know you’re unable to proceed.
Tip: In most programs, you can only accept one mentor at a time, so it’s a good idea to review all requests before accepting one.
Here is how you accept or decline requests:
What happens next?
Once you accept a request or your request has been accepted, the mentoring partnership begins. You can access your program from your dashboard and get started.
FAQs
Why is my self matching home page empty?
If your self matching home page is empty, it usually means there are no available mentors in your program right now.
We recommend checking back at a later time.
How do I view or edit my profile?
Your profile helps mentors understand who you are and what you’re looking for. Keeping it up to date can improve the quality of matches you receive.
Here is how you view or update your profile:
How do I set or update my preferences?
Some programs allow you to set preferences, such as how many mentors you’d like to work with at the same time.
If this option is available, here’s how to update your preferences:
Note: If you don’t see preferences, this feature may not be enabled for your program. In some cases, the option may appear, but the platform will prevent selecting multiple mentors if it is not allowed within the program - this will be indicated in red and you won’t be able to proceed.
How long does a request stay active?
A mentor request stays active for up to 7 days.
If the mentor doesn’t respond within that time, the request will automatically expire and you’ll be able to request another mentor.
Why am I being recommended certain mentors?
Mentor recommendations are based on information in your profile and preferences, such as:
- Areas you’re interested in
- Goals or topics you’ve selected
These recommendations are designed to help you find mentors who may be a good fit, but you’re always free to choose who you request.