Preparing for your Meeting
Get ready for your meeting by keeping some questions
like these in mind.
- How did you first get interested in this career?
- What is the most fun part of your job?
- What is frustrating about it?
- What are you most interested in now?
- What are you hoping to do this week?
- Don't forget to bring a notebook to write the answers
down!
Sometimes a person who could offer mentoring will not
know how to and might need some help from you. She may
say something like "I don't know what I can do
for you," or "We don't have any summer jobs
right now." Reassure her that you are just collecting
information and ideas, and the most important thing
is to talk with people who are enthusiastic about their
careers and who share your interest in science or medicine.
Once you meet the person, a series of well-structured
questions will usually help her to open up about her
career. When she sees that you are genuinely interested
in her work and are well prepared, she will probably
respond positively.
After your Meeting
After your visit, your first task is to write a "Thank
You" note, which your potential mentor will appreciate
and may even keep. It does not take very long; a couple
sentences are all you need. Card stores sell boxes of
"Thank You" cards inexpensively, but a plain
sheet of paper is fine. Here is what to do:
- State the facts in your first sentence: "Dear
Ms. Prospect, thank you for showing me around the
lab last Tuesday and telling me how you interested
in chemistry."
- Say something specific that you appreciated or a
particular way in which the visit was helpful: "It
was fun to speak with someone who has a sense of humor
about a serious subject."
- Close with your hopes for a future meeting, if any:
"I enjoyed meeting you and hope we will be able
to stay in touch." Or, if you do not feel that
further contact is necessary, write: "Thank you
again for making time to meet with me."
- Then sign the note "Sincerely," followed
by your name. Be sure that your contact information
(phone, e-mail, address, ect.) appears on the note
somewhere.
What Next
After you send your "Thank You" note, make
some notes about the mentoring experience for yourself:
- If I were doing that job, what would I love about
it?
- What would I hate about it?
- What did she or he do to succeed in his/her career?
- How am I similar to that person?
- How am I different?
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