Becoming a learning mentor may not require the same level of education as becoming a teacher, but it is certainly not less important.
What is a learning mentor?
Learning mentors provide support and guidance to the most vulnerable young people who are experiencing difficulties in learning due to social, emotional or behavioural problems, helping them to fulfil their potential.
There are a good number of opportunities in this area but, because it is so important to find the right people for these sensitive roles, interviews can be tough. Let us share with you a number of tips on how to approach the questions that are likely to come up in an interview for a learning mentor position.
How to prepare for an interview.
As with any job interview, it is important to arrive at the agreed place smartly dressed and prepared:
- read up on the job
- research the hiring organisation, and recent news about mentoring
- get a good night's sleep the night before and stay relaxed
Although it is important to show professionalism, in this particular case it is also advisable to be friendly and approachable, and to give the interviewer(s) confidence that a child would feel able to connect with you.
<h3>Interview questions for learning mentor jobs.</h3>
<p>To help you out, we've put together some example interview questions and answers:</p>
<h5>What inspired you to take an interest in mentoring?</h5>
<p>It is fine to give personal reasons in responding to this question, and candidates who have overcome challenges in their own early lives would be well advised to mention them, but this is also an invitation to reveal depth of knowledge about what mentoring involves by detailing the process of discovery.</p>
<h5>What previous experience do you have in working with young people?</h5>
<p>Voluntary experience is just as relevant as paid work in this context, but candidates shouldn’t just list experiences – rather, they should take the opportunity go into a bit of depth, talking about their successes and what they have learned.</p>
<h5>What advice would you give to a young person with confidence issues?</h5>
<p>Questions like this are common, but deceptive. They are designed to lure candidates into talking about themselves or their beliefs, when what interviewers are really hoping to hear is that the prospective mentor would rather focus on listening.</p>
<h5>How would you deal with a young person who was being aggressive?</h5>
<p>This is a chance to talk about de-escalation techniques, and the importance of balancing the needs of the individual child with those of others who may be in the class at the same time. Candidates can also use this to share their knowledge of what might make a child aggressive and how to approach trying to identify the problem.</p>
<h5>What would you do if you thought a young person was at risk of abuse?</h5>
<p>In answering this question, it is important not to get too emotional. Mentors need to be calm and make good decisions even when faced with highly emotive situations. What interviewers are looking for is knowledge of the proper way to report concerns and make sure that their report receives an adequate response.</p>
<h5>How would you approach managing your own caseload?</h5>
<p>This isn’t necessary in every learning mentor job but even in cases where there is a supervisor, employers want to know that the mentor has these skills. It is a chance to emphasise good organisational ability and time management techniques.</p>
