A mentor is an expert who provides wisdom and guidance based on his or her own experience. Mentoring may include advising, counselling and coaching. The coaching process does not include advising or counselling, and focuses instead on individuals or groups setting and reaching their own objectives

• Takes place outside of a line manager-employee relationship, at the mutual consent of a mentor and the person being mentored
• Is career-focused or focuses on professional development that may be outside a mentoree’s area of work
• Relationship is personal – a mentor provides both professional and personal support
• Relationship may be initiated by a mentor or created through a match initiated by the organization
• Relationship crosses job boundaries
• Relationship may last for a specific period of time (nine months to a year) in a formal program, at which point the pair may continue in an informal mentoring relationship