Mentorship
Booking Sessions
Schedule mentorship sessions with mentors
How to Book a Session
- Find a mentor you'd like to work with
- View their availability calendar
- Select an available time slot
- Choose session duration (30 or 60 minutes)
- Add session details and goals
- Confirm booking
- Receive confirmation email with meeting link
Selecting a Time Slot
Viewing Availability
Mentor calendars show:
- Available (green): Open slots you can book
- Booked (gray): Already taken
- Unavailable (no display): Mentor not available
Timezone Handling
- Calendar displays in your timezone
- Mentor's timezone shown for reference
- Auto-converts when booking
- Confirmation emails show both timezones
Double-check the timezone when booking, especially for international mentors.
Session Duration
Choose session length based on your needs:
30-Minute Sessions
Best For:
- Quick questions
- Specific tactical advice
- Follow-up sessions
- Resume/pitch reviews
- Intro calls
Credit Cost: 0.5 credits (typically)
60-Minute Sessions
Best For:
- In-depth discussions
- Strategy sessions
- Complex problem-solving
- First-time sessions
- Multiple topics
Credit Cost: 1 credit (typically)
Booking Details
When booking, provide:
Session Title
Brief description of what you want to discuss:
- "Fundraising strategy advice"
- "Product roadmap review"
- "Career transition guidance"
Session Description
Detailed context including:
- Your background
- Current situation
- Specific questions
- What you hope to get from the session
- Any materials to review beforehand
Providing clear context helps mentors prepare and makes your session more valuable.
Preparation Materials
Attach if relevant:
- Pitch deck
- Resume/CV
- Product screenshots
- Documents for review
- Any other relevant files
Using Mentor Credits
Credit Allocation
Credits may come from:
- Programme Allocation: Included with programme
- Company Allocation: Provided by your organization
- Individual Purchase: Buy additional credits (if available)
Credit Balance
Check your credits:
- Dashboard shows remaining balance
- Programme details show allocation
- Session booking shows cost
What If I Don't Have Credits?
Options if credits are depleted:
- Request more from programme admin
- Company may provide additional credits
- Purchase credits (if enabled)
- Some mentors offer free office hours
Confirmation & Reminders
After booking:
Immediate Confirmation
- Email with session details
- Meeting link (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
- Calendar invite (.ics file)
- Add to your calendar
Reminders
- 24 hours before: Reminder email
- 1 hour before: Final reminder notification
- Option to reschedule: If needed
Meeting Links
Video Platform
Sessions typically use:
- Zoom: Most common
- Google Meet: Alternative option
- Microsoft Teams: For some mentors
- Platform Video: Built-in option
Joining the Session
- Click link from confirmation email
- Or access from My Sessions on dashboard
- Join a few minutes early to test connection
- Have backup contact method ready
Preparing for Your Session
Before the Session
- Review mentor's profile - Refresh on their background
- Clarify your goals - What do you want to achieve?
- Prepare questions - Write down 3-5 key questions
- Gather materials - Have relevant documents ready
- Test technology - Check camera, mic, internet
- Be on time - Join 2-3 minutes early
Session Goals
Define clear objectives:
- What decisions do you need to make?
- What knowledge gaps do you want to fill?
- What specific advice do you need?
- What outcomes would make this successful?
During the Session
Best Practices
✅ Do:
- Start on time
- Introduce yourself briefly
- State your goals upfront
- Take notes
- Ask for specific advice
- Be open to feedback
- Respect the time limit
❌ Don't:
- Be late without notice
- Go in unprepared
- Dominate with talking
- Ignore advice
- Go over time
- Record without permission
After the Session
Follow-Up Actions
- Send Thank You: Message mentor with appreciation
- Review Notes: Summarize key takeaways
- Implement Advice: Take action on recommendations
- Share Progress: Update mentor on results (if ongoing)
- Leave Review: Rate and review the session
Session Feedback
Provide feedback to help others:
- Rate the session (1-5 stars)
- Write brief review
- Note what was most helpful
- Suggest improvements (private feedback)
Managing Your Sessions
My Sessions Dashboard
Access from Mentors → My Sessions to view:
Upcoming
- Scheduled future sessions
- Meeting details and links
- Reschedule or cancel options
Past
- Completed sessions
- Session notes and recordings (if available)
- Mentor contact for follow-up
Cancelled
- Cancelled sessions history
- Refunded credits
Rescheduling Sessions
How to Reschedule
- Go to My Sessions
- Find the session to reschedule
- Click Reschedule
- Select new time from mentor's availability
- Confirm new time
Rescheduling Policy
- 24+ hours notice: Free rescheduling
- Less than 24 hours: May forfeit credits (check policy)
- Mentor-initiated: Always full refund
- Multiple reschedules: May be limited
Late cancellations (less than 24 hours) may result in lost credits. Reschedule early if needed.
Cancelling Sessions
Cancellation Process
- Navigate to My Sessions
- Select session to cancel
- Click Cancel Session
- Provide reason (optional)
- Confirm cancellation
Refund Policy
- 24+ hours notice: Full credit refund
- Less than 24 hours: No refund (typically)
- Technical issues: Full refund (contact support)
- Mentor cancellation: Full refund automatically
Recurring Sessions
Setting Up Recurring Mentorship
For ongoing mentorship:
- Book initial session
- Discuss ongoing arrangement with mentor
- Schedule recurring sessions (weekly, biweekly, monthly)
- Credits deducted per session
- Cancel series if needed
Benefits of Recurring
- Consistent accountability
- Deeper relationship
- Long-term progress tracking
- Priority scheduling
- Better mentorship outcomes
Troubleshooting
Can't find available time?
- Check different weeks
- Try alternative mentors
- Use broader search filters
- Contact mentor directly (if allowed)
Meeting link not working?
- Check spam folder for confirmation
- Access link from My Sessions
- Contact mentor directly
- Request new link from support
Mentor didn't show up?
- Wait 10 minutes
- Send message to mentor
- Report no-show to support
- Full credit refund issued
Technical issues during session?
- Try backup meeting platform
- Switch to phone call
- Reschedule if major issues
- Document and report for refund consideration
Calendar Integration
Mentors can connect Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook for automated scheduling. When connected, availability is synced automatically and booked sessions create calendar events for both parties.
Pairing Modes
Programmes may use different pairing modes:
- Admin-assigned: Mentors are assigned to companies by programme staff
- Self-select: Companies browse and book mentors directly
- Triage-first: Companies request mentorship; staff triage and assign or approve self-selected mentors