What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which one person shares knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of another. The power of mentoring is that it creates a one-of-a-kind opportunity for collaboration, goal achievement, and problem solving. It is a safe place to discuss problems and issues.
Mentoring News
Enrollment start each October for next year’s upcoming Mentoring Program! Please contact the Mentoring Program Committee at mentorship@njsim.org for more information and an Application Kit.
Why is SIM NJ Doing Mentoring?
The SIM NJ Mentoring Program targets the individual skill development needs of our members. Long a supporter of helping CIOs/IT leaders improve their leadership and management skills, SIM NJ’s Mentorship Program gives our members (CIOs/IT leaders and their direct reports) the ability to solve real world problems while enhancing their soft skills and professional skills. It is a mechanism for professional development and an opportunity to strengthen your network within the chapter. Our chapter is one of the largest in the country and boasts an extraordinary group of highly successful IT executives across many industries.
What’s in It for Me?
- It provides one-to-one counseling, guidance and teaching
- It provides the opportunity to further develop soft skills and professional skills
- It is customized to the needs of the mentee
- It offers skilled & experienced mentors to help navigate through a mentee’s professional challenges
- It provides additional value for the member’s yearly investment
If you are facing professional challenges and feel you would benefit from periodic discussions with someone outside your organization, consider becoming a Mentee. If you simply want to share your experience and advise others, please consider becoming a Mentor.
How Does the Mentoring Program Work?
The time commitment is approximately 1 hour per month for 10 months. The program is guided by ground rules that all participants agree to observe.
This is a structured one-on-one program starting in February, with the meetings at least once per month. Specific personal and professional goals are created at the outset and progress toward achieving these goals is measured monthly. The program concludes at year end and includes an final assessment.
The SIM NJ Mentoring Program Handbook details the process and explains the guidelines, principles and rules.
The program is managed by the SIM NJ Mentoring Program Committee and overseen by the Mentoring Advisory Board.
Yearly Mentoring Program Schedule
| Description |
Due Date |
| Open Up Enrollment |
October 1st |
| Close Enrollment |
December 1st |
Evaluate Applications, Interview Applicants and
Evaluate Potential Mentor-Mentee Matches |
Mid-January |
| Announce Mentor-Mentee Matches |
Mid-February |
| Mentors and Mentees Begin the Program |
1st Available Day in March |
| Goals Due |
End of March |
| Check-In Status Progress Report Due |
Mid July |
| Program Concludes – Final Reports Due |
Mid December |
For Information Contact
To discuss the program and to see if it is right for you, contact the Mentoring Program Committee at mentorship@njsim.org
To Apply
After reviewing the Application Kit, send your completed application, resume/bio and goals to mentorship@njsim.org. Mentees can use the button below to submit the $75 application fee.
Testimonials
We are proud to say that 100% of participants who have completed the program since its inception would recommend the program to their peers. 100% !
Some feedback from past program participants appears below:
“My experience with the 2012 SIM NJ Mentoring Program has been personally rewarding and a great investment of time – I recommend this program to any IT executive looking to grow personally and professionally. Throughout the program, we identified key areas in which my personal and professional development could be refined, optimized and accelerated. This has meant that not only am I able to focus on the key areas in which I can succeed, but also enabled me to develop in new areas of business and IT leadership. My mentors ability to listen, provide honest feedback and coaching enabled me to excel in my potential and has brought about new growth opportunities. Additionally, I made a new industry contact and a lifelong friend. Truly an exceptional program!” — Sean Cuttler
“I believe the program has provided me with the career growth, advice and a friendship that I have been searching for over the years. In addition to finding and having a mentor over the past year, I have also found a colleague and someone I consider a friend for years to come!” — Gary R. Wilhelm, Sr.
“As a Mentor, I find the SIM NJ Mentoring Program to be exceptionally well organized and personally very rewarding. I know I’m making a difference in my Mentee’s work life and making a difference is what I wanted to achieve with my commitment to the pilot program.” — Ruth Harenchar
“It’s been a pleasure being part of the program and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. … the dynamics of mentoring and the thought processes we are forced to go through as part of being a mentor, have actually made me stop and think about my own situations. In this self-reflection, making sure you are walking your own talk, etc., I have found the process to be of great benefit to me as well.” — Rick Carney