JobIRL’s E‑Mentoring Programme

Website: https://www.jobirl.com/e-mentorat

Developed within the Connect to Your Future equal opportunity programme for disadvantaged territories, the E-Mentoring program students are helped to register and properly prepare for their mentor application. The student registers for E-Mentoring directly on the platform by filling out a form. In the form, they select the type of support they would like to receive. This might include a study and career exploration project, a search for an internship, or support for the Parcoursup PFM which is the application process for post-secondary education in France. Students then write a summary of their current situation and their expectations. Thereafter, they can access all the platform's features: orientation tests, videos with testimonials from professionals, advice sheets on various subjects, internships, and work-study offers. They also can contact via the messaging service of the platform the many volunteer professionals registered on JobIRL.com (a network that includes over 115,000 registrants including 7,300 volunteer professionals who are happy to be approached to provide career advice to young people aged 14 and over).

Students also have access to resources created especially for mentees based on the three types of support. As soon as they enter a mentoring relationship, their mentor contacts them first via the platform. They can then exchange information on the platform by sending each other documents as attachments in the messaging space. Throughout the mentoring process, the mentor refers the young person to online resources on JobIRL.com: quizzes, special reports, live job videos, etc.

The JobIRL E-Mentoring platform has been developed in PHP.

The forthcoming mobile application will also include note-taking tools and tasks to pace the exchanges. The mobile application will also integrate a messaging service, video conferencing and a calendar function.

Access to the JobIRL E-Mentoring program is easy and free. Unlike face-to-face mentoring programs, it allows for a flexible and easy organisation of exchanges between mentor and mentee. JobIRL's web-app dedicated to E-Mentoring will further facilitate the relationship by allowing for appointments to be made on the application and for the exchange of live documents. Other features will be added regularly to improve this digital tool.

The resource is free of charge

Distance mentoring requires a long-term commitment from the mentor and mentee (at least six months), which can be a barrier for some young people who are not used to this type of support. To help mentees stay engaged and get the most out of their mentorship, the JobIRL team calls them regularly by phone to check on their satisfaction, their expectations and needs. The strength of E-Mentoring, beyond the digital tools, is obviously based on the human dimension.

This resource is government supported.