What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is the process of harnessing experience and knowledge and sharing it with others through a developmental relationship. The relational process provides the opportunity for seasoned or more experienced individuals (the mentor) to share their professional knowledge and expertise with others who are less experienced (the mentee). Mentoring can be used to help individuals reach a certain goal, attain a skill, or provide guidance in a process or project. It is about people learning from each other with the goal of developing specific skills or seeking a common outcome.

CDAA mentors provide guidance, coaching, and an objective view to mentees as they work toward improving or starting their career. They may help mentees along their career path by creating opportunities for them to develop professional relationships and expand their knowledge base within the field of career development. Mentoring should be a reciprocal and collaborative learning relationship that combines the impact of learning with connectivity to others.

Opportunities

The CDAA is open to supporting career development students and developing or transitioning career development practitioners. If you are interested in finding a CDAA member for an informal mentorship please contact the CDAA Administrator at admin@careerdevelopment.ab.ca. We would be pleased to support a match for you with a professional in the area of your interest who has the knowledge and expertise to support your growth and development.

In your initial email please indicate your geographic location, area of interest, and preferred method of communication. Our administrator will send out a message to those members who may be a good fit based on the information you provide and those members will contact you directly.

Opportunities to connect and share with CDAA members and career development colleagues are also available at professional development events, networking events, and Chapter functions throughout the year.