IOSH
Mentoring
Share your knowledge or learn from others
Have you identified gaps in your knowledge and want to learn from an experienced safety and health professional? Or maybe you want to improve your leadership, communication and coaching skills? If so, the IOSH mentoring platform offers you an excellent opportunity to pursue these goals.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is a collaborative professional relationship between an experienced individual (a mentor) and a less experienced person (a mentee). The mentor gives advice, sharing their experiences and insights, to help the mentee to develop their skills, knowledge and career.
Both roles count as valid continuing professional development (CPD) activity. They can also increase your employability.
Types of mentoring
We match mentees to mentors, based on the needs of the mentee and experience of the mentor.
Mentoring is free to all members and we offer three options to suit different career stages, abilities and needs.
To get started, create a profile on our mentoring platform. IOSH will then be able to match you for a mentoring relationship. You will be able to start to influence the future of your profession, or learn from an experienced occupational safety and health (OSH) professional.
- identifying specific skills or knowledge for development
- increasing confidence
- focusing on a specific industry or task.
- support one another through similar challenges
- gain an alternative perspective on how to approach your work
- share your own experiences.
Career development mentoring
Offer or receive support and guidance to help with career development. This can include:
Reverse mentoring
Mentor a more experienced professional. It’s a chance to share your knowledge and lived experiences with someone different.
This type of mentoring can help both people to gain understanding from a new perspective. It can inspire creative thinking and close the skills gap.
Peer-to-peer mentoring
Connect with someone of similar seniority or career stage.
This might be someone working in a different role or industry but who will likely be facing similar professional challenges.
This type of mentoring allows you to:
Peer-to-peer mentoring encourages a give-and-take dynamic. Both people offer advice and learn from each other in a positive and productive way.
“You may think you need years and years of experience to mentor. However, the closer you are in learning the better, as you will remember the actions you took in achieving the same goals.”
Yvette Moffatt CMIOSH
You could be a mentor
Sometimes our members don’t realise how much they can offer as a mentor. You don’t need to be a Chartered Member or Fellow. Early-career professionals make ideal mentors for our Student members.
And the learning goes both ways in a mentoring relationship. Mentors can develop leadership skills, hear a new perspective and increase their professional network.
Why not take on this rewarding volunteer role? You get to make a difference to someone’s career and strengthen our profession.
Don’t forget to log your CPD
Becoming a mentor can help you learn new leadership and communication skills. You can log your mentoring activity as part of your continuing professional development (CPD) record.
Got a question?
If you want to know more about the IOSH mentoring scheme, please get in touch.
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