FAQ

• What is the role of a mentor?

  OpenClassrooms mentors are role models, helping students succeed in their training programs by guiding them on a weekly basis with their industry know-how. As a mentor you will monitor your students’ progress throughout the mentoring sessions, and report problems and difficulties related to your students to help them reach their goals.

• How many students can I expect to mentor, can I start with one student and be assigned more after?

  A mentor can work with 1 to 20 students. OpenClassrooms will do its best, according to the volume of activity, to assign the mentor the number of students requested.

• Can I mentor students for different paths?

  Our mentors typically start working on one path. However you can eventually request to work on additional paths after 3 months, once you have more experience as a mentor.

• How much time per week will I need to prepare for mentoring sessions ?

  We recommend taking some time to prepare before your sessions and filling out the session notes afterwards. For optimized mentoring, you might want to keep in touch with students via email between sessions.

• Do mentors and students work throughout the year or only during the academic year? Can I take holidays as a mentor?

  Mentors can accompany students all year-round, as students have different timelines for completing their programs. In case of absence, you just need to inform the student and your Mentorship Manager in advance for organizational purposes.
  

• How much are mentoring hours paid ?

  We offer compensation ranging from €25 to €50 per hour/ per student. It’s important to remember that mentoring is about helping students achieve their training in due time. It remains a complementary activity to your main profession so that you can remain a professional expert!

• How many years of professional experience does it take to become a mentor?

  Our mentors typically have a minimum of 4-7 years of professional experience and at least 2 years of professional experience in the field of the relevant path.

• What equipment and tools do I need to become a mentor?

  You can do your mentoring sessions directly on the Open Classrooms platform. If ever you experience difficulty with the OpenClassrooms tool, you can use an external video conferencing tool. The only requirements are access to a Desktop computer or a laptop with a webcam, and a stable internet connection. It is also recommended to use headsets, for smooth communication with students. In addition, the mentor has unlimited access to all OpenClassrooms content (courses and projects) to support students, as well as a mentor guide. Mentors can rely on this content to guide their students.

• Which documents are needed to become a mentor? Why do I have to provide these documents?

  If your application has been accepted, we will ask you to send us the following documents:
  

  • a copy of your identity document

  • a clean criminal record

  • a copy of your last diploma(s)

  • Proof of a company (or self-owned company) registration

  These documents allow us to declare you to the French Rectorate of Higher Education and establish your contract, as this is required by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Once the contract is signed, we will provide you with access to the mentor's tools. You will then officially become a mentor and we will send you an email concerning the next steps in the onboarding process.

  
  

• How soon can I start mentoring, if I am chosen as a mentor? How and when is a mentor matched with their students?

  It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the path. In the meantime, you will be able to access training materials on our website to learn more about supporting your first student.

• Do I need to be legally authorized to work in my country of residence to apply as a mentor?

  Our mentors are located all over the world, however they must be legally authorized to work in their country of residence under a freelance or company status. Mentors must also declare income earned from mentoring to their local tax authorities.

• How many hours per week can I expect to dedicate to mentoring (per student)? What is the frequency of the sessions, and how do mentors establish a schedule with students?

  Each student can have one session per week with their mentor. Depending on the profile of the student the sessions last between 30-60 minutes. You may plan to do your mentoring sessions whenever it suits you: weekdays or weekends, during the day or in the evening. However, some students may need to do sessions on specific weekdays, depending on their funding.