Mentor Program

Mentors will act as neutral sounding boards and offer their mentees advice on career topics.

Qualifications of Mentors

We seek mentors who are authentic, empathetic, creative and honest, and who can offer guidance on achieving goals, suggest new projects to explore, certifications or training to help mentees get ahead, or offer counsel on how to manage office politics. Mentors must be current ISACA members.

Responsibilities of Mentors

A mentor is expected to maintain confidentiality and discretion in conversations with their mentee to create a safe space while offering advice and guidance for growth. Identifying exercises to practice new skills and checking in with their mentees regularly will be key to a successful partnership.

Mentees can leverage the advice of a mentor who has spent time in their shoes and can offer an insider’s point of view on career management that can help guide the mentee to achieve career goals and more.

Qualifications of Mentees

Mentees will need to be proactive, self-starters who are receptive to feedback and guidance to help them achieve their professional goals. Mentees must be current ISACA members.

Responsibilities of Mentees

A mentee is expected to maintain regular communication with their mentor, honestly sharing their successes and obstacles. Mentees will need to complete the Goal Setting Worksheet prior to applying and will use this as the foundation for the partnership they build with their mentors.

Who can participate?

The program is focused on current ISACA Members at all levels and experience in the career spectrum. Participate as a Mentee to help launch your career, receive advice on attaining an aspirational role or upgrade your knowledge and insights through regular communication with your Mentor. The Mentor Program is not intended to be used for tutoring to earn certification(s), although credentialing may a step along the mentee's journey to achieve their goals. 

Mentors can have various levels of experience, and pairings will be made based on an appropriate experience gap between the Mentor and Mentee. Our goal is for Mentors to offer actionable and helpful advice, but also share an understanding of the Mentee’s challenges. 

Not a member yet? Join now to learn about the next Mentorship Program in 2022!

How will I be matched?

Good matching is hugely important to us! As part of the second mentor pilot program, ISACA administrators will connect mentors and mentees based on shared goals and preferred attributes from your applications, such as location or gender. While we cannot guarantee that all requests are met, we strive to create successful introductions that will lead to productive conversations. 

A limited number of spots are available.

How does it work?

1. Ensure your ISACA Membership is current.
2. Apply by 24 October 2021.
   • Mentees: Download and complete the Goal Setting Worksheet (PDF) and then complete the Mentee application. Your goals and responses will help drive the conversation to get the most out of your experience.
   • Mentors: Complete the Mentor application.
3. Participate in an onboarding webinar the week of 8 November to learn about the program’s roles, responsibilities, and support resources. We anticipate matching notifications to be sent around 1 November. 
4. Once you are matched, you can meet with your Mentee/Mentor virtually via any number of platforms. The application allows you to indicate your available platforms (like Zoom, Microsoft Teams or WhatsApp), and matching will account for your platform access.
5. ISACA will provide templates and resources to guide your conversations and support your objectives. The mentee is largely responsible for proactively scheduling meetings and checking in as part of their professional development. 

What kind of commitment does the program require?

Generally speaking, we anticipate that a typical commitment will involve:

• 10-12 meetings over a 6 month commitment (November - April) based on the goal progress and match's needs. 5-7 of those meetings should be November - January to establish a path and momentum early on toward achieving the mentee's goal(s). 
• 2-3 short surveys on your match compatibility and participant satisfaction and outcomes. The final survey will be distributed in May. This input is crucial to the evolving the ISACA Mentor Program from a pilot to the global audience.

Additional notes:

• Up to 10 CPEs for Mentors with ISACA Certifications, awarded at completion of program.
• We provide the opportunity to be matched with someone who is the same gender as you, if you wish.
• ISACA will retain mentor/ee applications on file should additional opportunities open up.
• Mentors and mentees will receive digital badges in the Achievements section of their Engage profiles.
• Mentors and mentees will each be added to respective online communities, enabling support from other participants in your role as a mentee or mentor. Discussion boards and libraries will provide additional resources beyond your 1:1 match.