I joined IABC/BC in 2025 as a student member while studying Project Management and Professional Communication at Douglas College, BC.
I was excited and eager to connect with a mentor as I was fairly new to Vancouver and to the BC job market. I was lucky enough to be matched with Rachel Wong, a senior professional leading internal communications at Simon Fraser University. With my international background in communications, I felt that this was a very pertinent match and I was eager to get started. Rachel, a former IABC/BC board member, was very warm and welcoming. Our first meeting was about getting to know each other and our professional journeys up to this point.
Additionally in the first meeting, we agreed on the structure of our mentorship journey – the frequency of meetings, the agenda for the meetings, and the communication channels that we would use. I shared information about the courses I was undertaking at Douglas College and the kind of work I hoped to do after completing my studies.
Here are my five key takeaways from the mentorship journey:
- Agree on the frequency of meetings, and keep to them. If there is a change in plans, ensure to communicate in advance with your mentor. As I started my mentorship journey in my last semester at Douglas College, sometimes I felt overwhelmed by school project deadlines and had to postpone one or two meetings with my mentor. She was understanding and flexible.
- Be proactive as a mentee – before meetings, think about what you are going to discuss. Take notes and ask follow up questions. Remember that this is a two way relationship and be willing to also share your experiences with your mentor so they can have a better understanding of who you are as a person.
- It will take a few meetings to become comfortable sharing things. Allow yourself time to become familiar with each other, and be upfront about your expectations.
- Mentorship is not just about the professional aspects, you will find yourselves talking about other things that are still important to you as a mentee, and how these things contribute to your overall experience, especially as an international student.
- The official assigned time for the mentee/mentor experience at IABC/BC is quite short, and will come to an end before you realise. Make the most of this time, and if agreeable to your mentor, request to stay in touch. Add each other on LinkedIn and reach out to your mentor whenever you need support, especially when applying to new roles.
In conclusion, the mentorship relationship is a give and take. As a mentee, take ownership of the journey by always coming prepared to meetings, suggesting areas of support and keeping the mentor updated on your development. The mentor acts as a sounding board, giving guidance as needed. Both benefit from active listening, honest feedback and goal oriented guidance. In this way, the mentee stands to gain by learning more about future opportunities and helps to expand their professional networks.
