Side by Side - Seeking Mentors for Qualified Professionals

Side by Side is a volunteer mentoring program for qualified professionals that connects immigrants with experienced Berliners.
The goal of Side by Side is to promote meaningful and sustainable participation in the labor market for Berliners with a migration background, as well as to foster exchange and networking among skilled professionals. We follow the Canadian model and ensure that mentors and mentees are matched based on their specific professions. 

The volunteer mentors serve as role models and advisors for their mentees. They bring their own professional and personal experiences, knowledge, and skills—as well as their own professional network—to the relationship. They support their mentee in achieving their (professional) goals by providing guidance and advice. In regular meetings organized independently by the mentoring pair, they discuss topics currently relevant to the mentee, exchange ideas, and learn from one another.
Throughout the mentoring period, mentors gain expert knowledge on mentoring through topic-specific workshops and training sessions and play a key, self-directed role in shaping the relationship within the mentoring pair. 

Additional benefits for mentors:

The mentee-mentor pairing lasts for approximately 12 months. During this time, the mentee and mentor should meet about once a month and stay in touch about once every 1–2 weeks (e.g., via Messenger, email, phone calls, etc.). 

The mentees speak German at least at the B1 level, and the meetings with the mentor* can also serve to improve these language skills. Anyone interested in becoming a mentor should be aware that overcoming language barriers may also be part of the mentoring process.