• The Learning Theory of Career Counseling (LTCC)

  • Based on Krumboltz's social learning theory, focuses on helping individuals acquire new skills, interests, beliefs, and values (emphasizes the role of learning experiences in shaping career paths)

• Psychosocial Mentoring vs Career-focused Mentoring

• Peer Mentoring

• E-mentoring

• Constellation Mentoring

• Exploring different career options & gaining a more realistic view of the job market

• Increased job search self-efficacy

  • Higher levels of confidence in various job search activities - applying for jobs, networking, & interviewing

• Provided a safe place for student athletes to seek personal insight, clarify career goals, and receive objective guidance, facilitating their transition into productive members of society

• The social support aspect of the mentor-mentee relationship was highly rewarding for student athletes, offering them someone to talk to and helping them develop future career goal

• Mentoring programs provide athletes an opportunity to learn about areas of interest not offered in high school curriculum to work with professionals in the community and to learn about education and career options and make decision regarding these options

• Early intervention

  • First and second-year student-athletes should explore academic and career interests to gain control over their inevitable transition (the earlier the better)

• Matching process

  • EX: Survey, assessment, choice-based, practitioner-assigned

  • Properly matching mentors and mentees played a crucial role in the success of the mentoring experience (ex. Gender or race-based)

• Incorporating practical activities

  • Career exploration activities

    • Internships, job shadowing

  • Career development activities

    • Resume writing, mock interviewing,crafting elevator pitches, job search strategies

  • Life Skills

    • Financial literacy

  • Guest speakers

• Emphasize the value of transferable skills

  • Teamwork, cooperation, focus, discipline, & time management

• Regular feedback (program maintenance)

  • EX: Survey

• Commitment

  • Signed contracts and/or various accountability measures

  • Orientation to share objectives, expectations and norms

• Relationship building was identified as a significant factor contributing to the success of mentor-mentee relationships

• Both mentors and mentees should commit to a long-term relationship, and training should cover various topics to help establish a strong mentor-mentee bond

• Genealogy: Mentors should talk about their own mentors and their mentors' mentors, so students and others will understand how they fit (belong) within the long history of the discipline.

• Mentors act as benefactors, counselor, supportive friend and role model

• Mentor success is conducive to long-term mentee success

• Mentors need training on mentoring

• Mentors must meet program’s minimum qualifications to act as a mentor

• Competitor Type (direct or indirect)

• Primary Market Segments

• Product Offering

• Pricing Strategy

• Website URL

• Unique Value Proposition

Interaction

• Features

• UX/UI

Visual Design

• Brand Identity

• Tone

• Revenue Streams

• Partnerships

• Customer Reviews

• Strengths/Weaknesses

• Gaps

Pricing Structure:

• Determine pricing strategy:

  • Free

    • Consider the incentive for mentors with no payment - Would mentors offer their services for free? How to find mentors willing to do a free service? What would the quality be like?

  • Per hour

    • Probably the best option

  • Monthly

    • Likely not the best choice for college students

  • Subscription-based

    • Likely not the best choice for college students

• Mentor pricing

  • Can mentors set their own pricing?

    • Yes

      • Consider: How to handle excessive pricing? Have pickable price options? A max price?

    • No

      • Consider: How mentors would feel about having no say in their prices? Would their offerings change to fit the fixed cost/free service?

• Can mentors adjust their pricing?

  • If yes - How often can they adjust their pricing?

    • Anytime? Once a month?

    • What happens to previous mentees if a mentor increases their pricing?

      • Mentees must accept the price increase or their next payment is automatically canceled (monthly pricing structure).

      • Past mentees keep whatever pricing amount it was when they signed up regardless of any increases.

• Mentees

  • (If there is a cost) Offering mentees some kind of free trial/1 call to meet with their mentor and make sure they mesh well together

  • (If there is a cost) Can student-athletes apply for a fee waiver?

    • What would this include?

    • How does this impact mentors if there is a cost?

  • (If there is no cost) How to encourage/incentivize mentees to keep working with mentors?

  • Any check-in messages if they miss meetings or don’t utilize the service?

• Mentors:

  • Offerings

    • Will there be a standard of offerings that mentors should have?

      • Voice Calls

      • Video Calls

      • Messages

      • Other: Resume review, etc.

    • If there is no standard, how will mentorships be kept in check for quality offerings?

    • How often can offerings be edited?

      • Anytime? Once a month?

• Mentor vetting process

  • Any requirements to apply?

  • How will mentorship applications be vetted?

  • Can anyone apply to be a mentor?

• Rating/Reviews

  • Getting pulled from the site

  • How will mentors be monitored?

  • What can cause them to be pulled from the site?

  • Have an automated system to keep an eye on reviews? Consider: If they reach a certain rating the mentor account is flagged for review.

  • Having a system for rating/reviewing the mentees they work for?

  • Have named or anonymous reviews from mentees?

Mentees:

• Account creation process

  • Can anyone apply for an account?

  • Must be an athlete?

    • How to enforce? Proof of athletic participation?

  • Can they be an athlete for any amount of time?

  • What if they were only a previous athlete?

• What information is required?

  • First Name

  • Last Name

  • School

  • Degree

  • Major/Minor

  • Sport

  • Career Goals

  • Email

• Getting pulled from the site

  • How will mentees be monitored?

  • What can cause them to be pulled from the site?

  • Have an automated system to keep an eye on reviews? Consider: If they reach a certain rating the mentor account is flagged for review.

• Can mentees work with multiple mentors?

Mentee/Mentor interactions:

• How are meetings between mentors and mentees scheduled?

  • Calendar

    • Open a mentors calendar where available times can be selected by the mentee?

  • Messaging

  • View contact information once a mentor/mentee are paired

  • Who takes initiative to set up meeting?

  • What method of contact is used

    • LinkedIn? Phone number? Email?

  • Messaging feature through Velosaty site?

• What mentor information is shared with mentees?

  • Contact info?

  • Velocity profile?

• What mentee information is shared with Mentors?

  • Velocity profile?

Site Structures:

• Develop a finalized Site Map

• Main Navigation

• Pages

• Mentorship search/filter

  • Determine how the search filter will work.

  • What filtering options will there be?

• Mentorship pages

  • Info shown when showing mentors while browsing/searching

    • Name

    • Image

    • Bio (short)

    • Offerings/Pricing (short)

    • Reviews (star rating - or however we choose to show it)

  • Info shown for individual pages when a mentor is selected to view

    • Name

    • Image

    • Bio (full - character limit?)

    • Education

    • Experience

    • Offerings/Pricing (detailed)

    • Reviews (can read full written reviews)

• Sponsors

  • Add a section or contact info for people or organizations interested in partnering

• Mentee Profile (signed-in)

  • Personal info:

    • First Name

    • Last Name

    • School

    • Degree

    • Major/Minor

    • Sport

    • Career Goals

  • Contact Info:

    • Email

  • Social connection:

    • LinkedIn

  • Mentors:

    • Saved mentors

    • Active mentors they're working with

  • Calendar to keep track of upcoming meetings?

• Mentor Profile (signed-in)

  • Personal info:

    • First Name

    • Last Name

    • Bio

    • Education

    • Experience

  • Offerings/Pricing

  • View Reviews

  • Contact Info:

    • Email

  • Social connection:

    • LinkedIn

  • Mentees:

    • Active mentees they're working with

    • Past mentees they’ve worked with

  • Calendar to keep track of upcoming meetings?

• How it works page?

• FAQs?

Extras offered by site:

• In-person meet-ups

  • Safety must be considered

• Lectures/talks by professionals

  • Virtual is the most accessible

  • Can teach/cover a variety of topics

• Community Forums

• Free resource library

  • Stress management

  • Financial literacy

  • Mental health

  • Interview prep

  • Resume writing

  • Etc…

• Messaging feature?

• Calendar?

• Message/Email reminders for mentors/mentees for meetings

• Focus on individuals

• Velocity will assess mentee forms and pair them with a mentor

• Offer additional options if primary mentor pairing is unsuccessful

• Review and update mvp

• Identify the outline/flow of the landing page & Dashboard

• Could have a FAQ page when logged in to answer questions

• No cost to mentees, no payment for mentors

• Since mentees will not be charged and mentors will not be paid in the beginning - think about free offerings we could provide mentors - like shoutouts on LinkedIn?

• Offer a micro-mentorship program where they work with multiple mentors throughout a period of time