STM Mentorship Program

• All mentees must be working in an STM member organisation at the outset of pairing.
• Mentors can be from non-STM member organisations. We also welcome experienced mentors who are retired.
• Participants can be in any function, sector, publisher type and level of seniority
• Mentoring relationships will consist of a pairing of 1 mentor and 1 mentee
• Ground rules included in mentorship agreements (agreed by mentors and mentees at the commencement of mentorships) will include that:
  • participation is at the cost of participants/their organisations (there is no direct cost of the scheme)
  • confidentiality (personal and commercial) is paramount
  • the scheme facilitates personal, not business, development
  • participants are responsible for scheduling their own mentorship meetings. As matches are likely to be international, it should be expected that the majority of the meetings will be held via phone/web
  • job and applicant prospecting are not permitted under the terms of the scheme.

If you have any questions about the STM Mentoring Programme, including your eligibility to apply, please reach out to Lucy Derges via lucy@stm-assoc.org

The ECPC aims to make the best possible mentorship matches, based on the pool of applicants available. But, in order to be successful, mentoring relationships require a commitment from both parties from the outset, involving regular contact as agreed by both parties.

In terms of what is expected from each role:

The Role of the Mentee

The mentee should set the agenda for the mentorship, enabling mentees to take ownership of their own development with the support and guidance of their mentor. Mentorships are most effective when mentees are open, honest and receptive to their mentors in order to extract the required information which will benefit them.

The Role of the Mentor

The mentorship should be driven by the mentee’s personal and professional development, with the mentor empowering the mentee by facilitating the mentee’s self-appraisal, establishing facts, sign-posting, and giving information and advice drawing on their own experience, expertise and knowledge.

Mentors should encourage mentees to take responsibility for their own development by enabling mentees to self-reflect, clarify understanding, challenge assumptions, consider different perspectives, make decisions and set their own objectives.

A Mentoring Scheme Guidance Document, which can be found here.

A Mentoring Training Webinar from March 2023 is available, along with associated PDF version of the presentation.

During the course of the scheme, there will be several opportunities to virtually meet with other mentors and mentees. These sessions will offer the chance to ask questions, seek support with your partnership and to network with others. The STM ECPC Mentoring Committee will also be available throughout to help.

“There is so much change that we are undergoing as an industry and it is groups like this that prove invaluable – in connecting people and allowing us to learn from each other.”

“This scheme is an excellent way to share experience between members of the publishing industry and support and nurture up and coming new talent.”

“Helps early career colleagues advance, find support, do better in their careers; helps established colleagues give back and see industry from fresh perspective”

“I feel it’s this sort of support which helps people to stay in the industry and to progress in the industry which benefits everyone. It helps to keep the good people!”

“I like the freedom you have actually to make the relationship between mentor and mentee what you want it. I think it works better this way and you build a unique experience that is really relevant to you.”

“I think I must have just gotten really lucky, but I LOVE my mentor. She has been amazing. The most important thing that made it work, I think, was that everything we talk about is confidential, staying between just us. This enabled a very open, honest mentor/mentee relationship.”

“Whilst going into the scheme with key goals in mind, I’ve learnt far more than I could have imagined as both a mentor and a mentee.”

“It is great how you choose the partners, it always fits :)”

“It’s been a fantastic opportunity to connect with someone in a different part of the world, working in a different department and company, but yet still be able to add value, and prove that remote working relationships can work!!”

STM provides a unique development opportunity for individuals by facilitating a mentor programme. In order to process your application as a mentor or mentee and to conclude a mentorship agreement, we need some personal data.

For this purpose, we process the following personal data:

• Name
• Contact details (email address and telephone number)
• Membership information (function, organization)
• Country
• Any other information you provide with your application

Your application details are stored until the positions have been filled. Personal data of mentees and mentors are stored until the programme ends. In the case of mentors, we may store your name and contact details until 2 years after you last participated in the programme. With your consent we may contact you to invite you to re-apply for the programme.

Potential Mentors please note:

• Your application to the program does not guarantee a mentee pairing
• We will do our best to pair mentors with the best possible match, however, we are limited to the expertise of the mentors who apply each year
• Please keep an open mind about your pairing, while we may not be able to fulfill all of your requests for a mentee there is always something new you can learn from someone else
• What to expect from the programme:
  • You can expect to hear back about your pairing/inclusion in the programme in early 2025
  • This is a voluntary program
  • This programme is “Mentee-led”

Potential Mentees please note: 

• Your application to the program does not guarantee a mentor pairing
• We will do our best to pair mentees with the best possible match, however, we are limited to the expertise of the mentors who apply each year
• Please keep an open mind about your pairing, while we may not be able to fulfill all of your requests for a mentor – there is always something new you can learn from someone else
• What to expect from the programme:
  • You can expect to hear back about your pairing/inclusion in the programme in early 2025
  • This is a voluntary program
  • This programme is “Mentee-led”