At Blackburn Mentoring, matching starts with a five-minute assessment that the team reviews personally. Next comes a free intro call to talk through goals and what matters to you in a mentor. After that, the team matches the client with one dedicated mentor, and that mentor works with them from the first session on.
The steps, in order
- A five-minute assessment. At get started, you share who the mentoring is for, what is going on and what you hope will change.
- A personal review. A member of the team reads every assessment personally.
- A free intro call. The team talks with you about goals, schedule, whether sessions will be by video or in person in Los Angeles, and the plan. Rates are reviewed on this call. For high school students, a parent or guardian joins.
- Matching. The team matches the client with one dedicated mentor, considering what came up in the assessment and the call.
- The first session. Mentor and client meet, set goals and agree the first weekly steps. See what happens in a first mentoring session.
What to talk about on the intro call
Fit matters in mentoring, because the client needs to be willing to be honest with this person every week. Useful things to cover on the intro call include:
- Goals. A college freshman trying to stay on track has different needs from a professional planning a career move.
- Stage of life. High school, college, a gap year, early adulthood or mid-career.
- Focus areas. Career and education, money and life skills, health and fitness, relationships and family, accountability, or support for people in recovery.
- Format and schedule. Video sessions in the client’s local time zone, or in person in Los Angeles; weekly or several times a week.
- Personal style. Some people do best with a direct mentor; others need a gentler start.
Sharing your preferences
The intro call is the right time to say what you are hoping for in a mentor. You might mention a preferred style, an interest the client would connect over, or something that has not worked before. We do not promise any particular match, but it helps the team to know what matters to you.
A few questions worth thinking about before the call:
- What has the client responded well to in teachers, coaches or managers?
- What has made them shut down in the past?
- What are the two or three goals that matter most right now?
- What days and times realistically work for sessions?
Our list of questions to ask a life coach or mentor can help you prepare.
Why one dedicated mentor
Each client works with one dedicated mentor rather than a rotating team. That mentor learns the client’s goals, history and habits, so nobody has to start from scratch each week. It also means the person checking in by text and phone between sessions is the same person they meet with. More on that in support between sessions.
For parents
If you are starting this for a high school student, you are part of the intro call and help agree the goals, and you receive regular progress updates once mentoring begins. If your child is an adult, they decide what family hears. Read how parents stay informed.
Where a mentor helps
Matching is the first step toward the weekly work: clear goals, small steps and steady follow-through. To see how that plays out, read how mentoring works, or browse mentoring for high school students and mentoring for young adults.
Related
Common questions
How long does the assessment take?
About five minutes. The team reviews each one personally and then sets up a free intro call.
Can we say what kind of mentor we are hoping for?
You are welcome to share what matters to you on the intro call. We do not promise a specific match.
Does the client get the same mentor every time?
Yes. Each client has one dedicated mentor for sessions and for text and phone contact between sessions.
Is the intro call free?
Yes. The intro call is free, and it is where goals, schedule and rates are talked through before anything starts.
Get started
Ready to start the matching process? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.