Career Mentoring - Ending the Relationship

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There will come a time when the mentoring relationship will begin to draw to an end.

We hope that you will be able to successfully work together until three months post graduation/ demo day. At this point you must both ‘let go’ so that your mentee can maintain their independence. It will then become their responsibility to put what they have learned into practice. Although the two of you will probably continue to have some form of interaction, it should be on a more casual basis, where you consider each other as equals.

Here are some tips to help you end your mentoring relationship successfully:

• Fix a date for your final meeting. Decide on a date with your mentee. Remind each other of this in your penultimate meeting so that you can prepare for it.

• Find other ways to support your mentee. For instance, look at ways you can continue to support your mentee’s learning.

• Celebrate your success. Have a look at the goals you set when you first met. Consider what you have both achieved during the process and reflect on what you can take to your next mentoring relationship.

• Say goodbye. End the session on a positive note so it’s not awkward. You could talk about what you most enjoyed, what you’ll remember most or the most important things you’ve both learned.