Why the First Meeting Matters
Setting The Foundations For A Successful Partnership | For LSA Alums
The first meeting sets the tone for your mentorship relationship. Entering a professional relationship can feel intimidating for many students, especially those with underrepresented identities. Your goal in the first meeting isn’t to solve all their career questions; it is to establish psychological safety, build trust, and understand where they are starting from.
Below you’ll find some easy steps to setting the foundation for your mentorship relationship.
Step 1: Break the Ice and Establish Safety
Students come to the Hub with diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and varying levels of familiarity with professional spaces. Start by normalizing the exploration process and sharing a bit about yourself to lower the stakes.
Share your story
Briefly touch on your career path. Mentioning early uncertainties or pivots helps students realize they don’t need to have it all figured out right now.
Build some commonality with your mentee by including parts of your time at U-M; sharing elements such as what brought you there, how you chose your major, or even where you lived on campus can not only break the ice, but also identify what you might have in common.
Acknowledge the whole person
Invite them to share what brought them to the program and what they are hoping to get out of it, keeping in mind that their goals may be shaped by unique personal or academic circumstances.
Step 2: Map Their “Starting Line” (The PDIM Framework)
Students enter the mentorship program at different stages of their professional development. Use the first meeting to figure out where they sit on the Professional Identity Development Model (PIDM) continuum so you don’t give advice that feels premature or out of touch:
Discover (Seeking Direction): They know what they are studying, but aren’t sure how it translates to a career. You can focus on: brainstorming interests, connecting liberal arts skills to the working world, and building basic confidence.
Explore (Narrowing Focus): They have some ideas or experience, but want help aligning their interests, reviewing documents, or understanding industry options. You can focus on: Resume/cover letter reviews, discussing different career paths, and exploring informational interviews.
Pursue/Advance (Executing a Plan): They know what they want, have a great baseline, and need targeted advice. You can focus on: Job/internship search strategies, interview prep, salary/benefits discussions, or expanding their professional network.
Step 3: Co-Create Rules and Expectations
A successful relationship requires clear communication boundaries. Take 5 minutes at the end of your first chat to align on logistics.
Frequency and Format: How often will you meet?* (e.g. monthly, bi-weekly, etc.) Will you meet virtually or via phone?
Communication Style: How do they prefer to reach out if they have a quick question between sessions (email, LSA Connect messages)? What is a realistic turnaround time for you?
Student Agency: Remind them that they are in the driver’s seat. Share what expectations you have for them, such as timely notice of cancelled meetings or preferred meeting times.
*Students who are part of the LSA Mentorship Program are expected to meet their mentor at least three times from October to April; however, we encourage students to meet more often if that suits their schedule and goals.
Step 4: Agree On One Tangible Next Step
Try not to overwhelm your mentee with a massive to-do list. Remember they are pursuing this mentorship relationship in addition to the other engagements they have as a student, including classes, internship/job applications, extracurricular activities, part-time work, academic advising sessions, family life, and much more.
To make your mentoring relationship meaningful and accountable, wrap up the first meeting by agreeing on one small, actionable step for their next session. Depending on where they are in their journey, this could be:
For a Discovery/Explore student: Drafting a list of three questions they want to ask someone in an informational interview.
For an Explore/Pursue student: Sending over their current resume for you to look at before next time.
For all students: Taking 5 minutes to explore LSA Connect to find another alum profile they find interesting.
Quick Mentor Reminders
Check your assumptions: Remember that your student’s college experience, access to resources, or comfort with “networking culture” may look very different from yours. When in doubt, ask open-ended questions rather than making assumptions.
Practice Curiosity: If a student shares a goal or hesitation that surprises you, use curiosity: “What has shaped the way you’re thinking about that?”
You don’t need all the answers: If a student asks a technical or campus-specific question you aren’t sure how to answer, it’s completely okay to say, “I’m not sure about that; let’s look into it together or check in with the Hub team.”
