Set a mentorship goal

Setting clear goals is key for effective mentorship. Without specific objectives, mentorship sessions can drift and produce little growth.

Good mentorship goals should be SMART:

• Specific enough to guide your learning
• Measurable so that you can track progress
• Achievable within your timeframe
• Relevant to your career goals
• Time-bound with clear deadlines

For example, instead of a vague goal like "improve my programming skills," a better goal would be "build a working web application using React within 3 months."

Just as important is knowing why you've chosen your particular mentor. The best mentorship matches connect your goals with your mentor's strengths and experience.

Ask yourself:

• Does this mentor have expertise in areas you need to develop?
• Have they faced similar career challenges?
• Do their work style and values match what you're aiming for?