How can I find my mentor?
At the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology, you are invited to find your own mentor. It is important that you find an independent contact person in your mentor who really suits you and your goals. A doctorate is not only a professional qualification, but also a personal development. During this time, the mentor can be an important support for you.
You can decide for yourself whether you want someone
- who will regularly discuss your personal goals with you
- who will help you to deal with possible stumbling blocks
- who supports you in your time management
- recommend a journal for your first publication
- discusses the latest scientific findings with you
- who points you to exciting conferences
- who introduces you to important contacts or
- who provides you with practical insights.
-->>The prerequisite is that your mentor holds a doctorate or a PhD.
In the following, you will find information on what mentoring at the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology can look like for you.
1. What is mentoring?
- A prerequisite for your doctorate at the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology
- An additional contact person during your doctoral studies
- A person who supports you, challenges you, encourages you, etc. (and does not test you!)
This means that the mentor will not be part of the later examination board!
2. How can you benefit from mentoring?
- Help and support during your doctorate from a person who does not determine your performance - this can be professional as well as personal content
- Professional support - from argumentation threads to publications to experimental design
- Personal development - from blockades and self-motivation, to dealing with resources and time management
- Networking and contacts - making and maintaining contacts
- Career - gaining insight into opportunities after graduation
3. How do you go about really benefiting from mentoring?
- Decide for yourself what topics you want to cover in your mentoring and make notes on them in advance (you can find help in the right-hand column).
- Together with your mentor, find the right framework for your mentoring.
- Take care of a functioning mentoring relationship, i.e. keep in touch and make sure that appointments take place or that topics you are currently dealing with are addressed.
- Be prepared with questions and ask them in conversation.
- Prepare for and follow up on meetings thematically and make sure they can run effectively and meaningfully.
- Follow up on ideas and opportunities developed and explore avenues discussed in mentoring.
4. Establish the framework:
- Discuss type and frequency of contact (recommendation: every 6-8 weeks) -> Personal contact is preferred by most!
- Determine location and dates
- Allow sufficient time for the meeting (1.5 - 2 hours)
- Establish goals
- Align expectations about how the mentoring relationship will unfold
- Record all important points in a mentoring agreement
--> Please note: The registration of a mentor is a prerequisite for registration on the doctoral list at the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology.
Please make sure that the mentorship is independent of the research project! The mentor should not be involved into your examination committee!