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Mentor Profile

Heather Warketin
Mentor since: Oct 2003
Occupation: Medical Physicist at Cross Cancer Institute.
My greatest career influence: When I started at the Cross Cancer Institute just over 10 years ago, there was just one other female medical physicist working here. When she started she would have been considered a real pioneer in the field. She took me under her wing and showed me how to balance work and family life while still ... 

Getting Started

Ideas for Participants

To help you develop a successful relationship with your mentor we have put together a list of suggested discussion topics to get you started. They are listed in the TOPICS page, which is updated frequently, and some can also be found in the Participant Handbook. You will be sent more ideas throughout the year, in the newsletter. If you have any ideas to add, please send them to us - we'd love to hear them!

As a professional engineer, technician, scientist, or a student completing an undergraduate degree, your mentor probably has a very interesting and demanding lifestyle. Regular communication will greatly influence the satisfaction of your mentoring relationship. Take the initiative to suggest discussion topics, share personal experiences, ask questions and engage in small talk until you get to know each other and a discussion starts.

Please be appreciative of her time; respond in a timely manner to your mentor's questions and comments. If you are too busy, send a short message letting her know you will be in contact when you have the opportunity.

Netiquette noun, Etymology: blend of net and etiquette, etiquette governing communication on the Internet.

Good manners are always in style. While online writing is less formal than a written letter there are still some guidelines to follow to make the experience as positive as possible. First impressions are important especially when you can't see the person you are communicating with.

Keep in mind:

• Send smaller messages more frequently
• Read and respond in a timely fashion (if you need time to think about your response, send a quick reply letting your mentor know that you will be sending a longer email in a couple of days - and make sure you do!) •leave line spaces between paragraphs to make the message easier to read
• TYPING IN CAPITALS IS THE ONLINE VERSION OF SHOUTING!
• Begin the message with the person's name
• Use a descriptive title in the subject line
• Smileys and emoticons can be fun ;)
• Acronyms are commonly used (there are many web pages with extensive lists) some common ones are - TTYS talk/type to you soon, BFN bye for now, WBS write back soon
• Always read through your message before hitting the send button - checking for typos and missed words only takes a few seconds, ensures that your message is clear and makes a good impression!