University of Tartu mentoring programme – an opportunity to learn and grow

Well-planned collaboration

Aivo and his mentee met six times and also communicated via email, sharing summaries, goals and homework. From the very beginning, they scheduled all meeting dates and agreed that if anything changed, the issue would be resolved on an ongoing basis. So they had a clear plan and framework, which made it easier for both to move forward.

“My young mentee was nice and enterprising, and an entrepreneur already. She impressed me as a curious and open-minded person, and also an excellent communicator. By the end of our first meeting, I felt a sense of trust had developed between us,” Aivo says.

He says they initially had a slightly different idea about the mentoring programme. However, they then discussed how each perceived it and reached a shared understanding – a kind of symbiosis of both viewpoints.

Since the student was running a business, they mainly focused on the joys and challenges of entrepreneurship. “The goal of a business is to make a profit and be successful, so we talked about how to move forward in a way that gets things rolling,” Aivo explains.

The mentor as a mirror

Aivo says that a mentor’s toolkit can be very diverse depending on their experience – mentoring can involve conversation techniques, drawing, or writing. He found it important to try something new at each meeting to test theoretical knowledge in practice.

“Being a mentor means something slightly different to everyone. It is perfectly natural for each mentor to have their own approach. For example, I talked to another mentor who discussed very specific work-related topics with the student – what their own ten years of experience were like and what the mentee thought about it. This is also possible, and a completely acceptable way to guide a student,” he says.

Aivo describes himself as a mentor who does not want to give ready-made solutions or supervise too much, but rather let the student find the answers independently.

“I believe mentors should not try to shape mentees into someone like themselves. It’s important to accept the students’ ideas and not hold them back – but not to push them excessively either. It’s better to remain neutral and reflect,” he explains.

So Aivo tried to speak as little as possible and give the student space to find solutions. Occasionally, he did share more personal advice, but always asked first whether the student wanted to hear his suggestions or examples.

Mentoring as a chance to grow

For Aivo, the programme's greatest value was the opportunity to practise the skills he had mainly learned in theory so far. “It is not easy to practise such situations in everyday life. That’s why this experience was eye-opening for me. I’d like to think that all young people are as capable, smart and enterprising as my mentee. I don’t remember being that cool myself at university – but maybe I was,” he reflects.

Aivo believes every organisation should have a mentoring programme, as it offers a safe and structured environment for setting goals, sharing experiences and personal development.

Connections that last

“We exchanged contact details with the student to stay in touch after the programme, if needed. Experience has shown that several years may pass before someone feels like meeting again, for example, to discuss their field of study or mentoring. Anyway, I am open to that and find it an exciting opportunity. With several former mentees, we’ve kept in touch and continued our conversations,” says Aivo.

He is taking part in the university’s mentoring programme again this year and encourages others to do the same. His advice to the participants is to keep an open mind, take advantage of the opportunity to meet face to face, and learn to see the world from a new perspective – whether through the eyes of a younger generation or a representative of a different field.

The programme on the university’s website