Important talks: Help in Change mentors gathered to discuss smart ways to guide their mentees
As part of the Care in Change project, mentees can communicate with a mentor who helps them understand specifics of life in Sweden. Therefore, meetings with mentors are an important part of our work and we would like to tell more about one of them.
On Tuesday, March 29, we invited our mentors to an afterwork where they could share their impressions of working with mentees, as well as ask for advice if something went differently than they would like. The meeting started with a general acquaintance as these afterworks can be attended by different people every time. Then each mentor talked about their mentee and the format of cooperation convenient for them as well as shared the moments that caused concern.
Most mentors noted a successful match with their mentees, which added more to good relations during the program. Regular communication works great through weekly online meetings or collective attendance at events. Also timely updates from the menti regarding progress in finding a job are being helpful.
It was nice to hear that, despite the difficult psychological state and uncertainty about the future, Ukrainians are very eager to integrate into Swedish society, find a job, learn a language (Swedish or English) and find the use of their previous experience. Some have even found a job on their own and are already taking the first steps to the desired position.
On the other hand, there were examples of a weak interest in cooperation with the mentor for various reasons – disbelief in one's abilities, difficulty to start over, unwillingness to learn the language. It is important to emphasize that the mentor is not a recruiter or a psychologist, his task is not to find a job for the mentee, but to help, support and guide along the journey to reach desired outcome, based on his own experience and his own way of building life in Sweden.
By the end of the meeting, the mentors agreed that we are all humans and each of us has its own pace. Change requires effort and does not always happen as quickly as we would like. However, mutual respect, timely communication and a clear goal help bring these changes closer.
ℹ️ The project is funded by the European Social Fund
