Associate Career Mentor
Rationale
This document explains the role of an Associate Career Mentor and sets out what is expected of you when performing the role. This role is specific to Next Generation Engineering.
What is the Academy?
If you would like to find out more about our Academy programmes, you can read about:
What is an Associate Career Mentor?
This role is specific to Next Generation Engineering, and does not exist in the wider Accenture UK.
The job of an Associate Career Mentor is to support and mentor these Academites during the first stage of their Next Generation Engineering journey and beyond. Getting involved on day one, the ACM's role begins when the Academites first join the company. The objective of the role is to help their Academite progress to a fully-fledged Consultant-level role. The ACM provides support, coaching, and mentoring to their Academite, working alongside the Academite's People Lead.
The role is usually carried out by those who have been in the business at least 12 months, or who have been out of the Academy at least 12 months.
Key Responsibilities
Support the new Academites during their Academy programme
Provide help and support to the new Associate Consultants while they settle into Next Generation Engineering. Build a good relationship with them, ensuring regular and frequent catch-ups during the Academy, making sure to utilize the timetable to find appropriate slots. Flag any problems they may be having to the Academy Leads, where appropriate. Encourage your Academite to actively participate in the wider Next Generation Engineering culture. Make sure they're aware of the different community of practices that exist, as well as other key events that may be happening. Take some time to understand their hobbies and interests. Encourage them to join Slack channels related to their interests, and to talk to other people within the company that they won't interact with throughout their time in the Academy. If no channels or groups exist that align with their hobbies and interests, get them to create them!
Support the transition to client accounts
Help support the transition from the full-time Academy training programme to working on a client account, the transition from a full-time Academy programme to a client account needs to be as seamless and non-daunting as possible. Keep apprised of the tools and techniques covered during the Academy training programme. Chat to your Academite about the tools and techniques used on their soon-to-be client account, and whether any of those are covered off in or similar to the Academy content. Point them in the right direction for further reading or useful resources if they'd find it helpful to read up before beginning on their account. Stress the importance of a good work-life balance - they will not be expected to know everything before starting on their team.
Once the Academite joins the team, take on the mantle of specialist mentoring (Technical if Full-stack engineer or non-tech if Product Analyst), ensuring the Academite is provided with enough work at an appropriate level for them. If unable to take on specialist mentoring, or if not based on the same account as your Academite, work with them and their Account Lead to provide them with a suitable mentor. Make sure a good introduction to the team and the tech stack, pairing and other learning opportunities, and any additional required training are organized for your Academite. Ensure help (technical or otherwise) is available for your Academite to access when needed.
Provide regular feedback on progress
This is less important during your Academite's first 12 full-time weeks, as Academy Leads will be having regular 1-to-1s with all Academites at this point. Once the Academite leaves the full-time programme, this continued provision of regular feedback is extremely valuable. Organise a 'Three-minds' meeting between yourself, your Academite, and their Account Lead every month. If their Account Lead isn't available, make sure the meetings still take place, with someone else senior on their account in a position to provide them with helpful feedback stepping in.
What is the School Of Tech and the Academy?
To learn more about us, visit the introduction.