The (ISC)²® CNMC offers mentoring to individuals seeking to advance their careers in cyber security. Please join our group to take advantage of this member benefit. Join here:
What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a professional relationship between two people, where a more experienced person guides a less experienced person through subjects where professional development is desired .
A “mentor” is usually an experienced individual who shares knowledge, experience, and advice with a less experienced person, or “mentee.”
Ideas to Help You Succeed at Being a Mentee
- Set clear goals and objectives
- Set expectations – What do I need?
- Tell your mentor what you want to gain from the experience
- Share where you are failing or struggling
- Listen, research and apply the mentor’s guidance
Ideas to Help You Succeed at Being a Mentor
- Set expectations – What can I offer?
- Explore personal motivation and readiness to be a mentor
- Assess your skills and identify your own areas for learning and development
- Do not look for chemistry. Instead, ask “Can I work productively with this individual? Do I honestly feel that I can further this person’s learning?”
- Ask: What is the most useful kind of assistance I can provide?
Preparation for Both Mentor & Mentee
- Clarify expectations and roles
- Establish ground rules
- Plan an agenda
- Agree to a realistic schedule
- Determine how often to meet
- Determine how to meet (in person, by phone, video conference, etc.)
- Determine how long meetings and the mentoring relationship will last
- Ask for feedback
- Define what success looks like for you
- Discuss options and opportunities for learning
AJ has created a Slack channel for the ISC2 Central New Mexico Chapter membership body, with the primary purpose of it being a place for mentors and mentees to make contact and build relationships. It also provides a place for the New Mexico information security community to gather and discuss current events, trends in the industry, or even struggles or success we have in our careers.
Face-to-face meetings are not always possible or feasible, so a tool like Slack that offers a variety of options to communicate (live chat, messages, video calls, etc.) on both desktop and mobile platforms can help us stay in touch. Come join us, introduce yourself, and start getting to know other current or aspiring security professionals in our local community.”
Reach out to him at the mentorship email address to gain access to our Slack Channel – mentoring@isc2-cnmc.org