SMART Goals and Reading Log
Forming SMART goals with your mentor and
keeping track of your wider reading
Working towards a SMART goal in your mentoring
conversations
Dear mentee,
The attached resource will help you to identify SMART goals with your mentor and track
your progress towards achieving your goals over the course of time. It will also help you to
track your wider reading.
SMART Goals
The SMART goals document should be used as a working document. This means that both
you and your mentor can type in the boxes and either copy into your email or attach the file
each time you update it.
You do not need to add to this document every time you email your mentor, but you should
revisit it regularly to keep track of how you are doing in working towards your SMART goals
and whether you want to adjust any of your targets over time.
Reading Log
There are spaces for you to log your wider reading in working towards your SMART goal.
Remember, this does not always have to be reading a book, it could be watching a TED talk,
reading an article or listening to a podcast related to your subject interests or aspirations.
Remember: when it comes to writing your personal statement, all the information in your
SMART goal log and your reading log will support you.
We hope you make the most of the resources and your e-mentoring relationship.
The SMF Team
SMART Goals
It’s important to try to set goals that are SMART. This stands for:
Specific: setting goals that are focused and you can explain exactly what you want to achieve, when you want to achieve it, who is involved and why it’s important
Measurable: you need to be able to measure your progress and know when your goal has been achieved
Achievable: break down your goal into small, achievable steps; this helps the goal become attainable to reach
Realistic: set a goal that is realistic but also useful to your long-term aspirations; there is no point working towards a goal with your mentor that is not relevant to your future
career plans
Time-based: when can you work on your goal, i.e. when will you have time to talk to your mentor and act on their suggestions for reading/research? Can you use a free lesson
in school/college?
S M A R T
Specific Measurable Achievable/Attainable Realistic/Relevant Time-Based
Working towards a SMART goal
Is this goal in line with
in your mentor/mentee How will I know when
my long-term
conversations What do I want to I’ve achieved my goal? What steps can I take to How long will it take to achieve
ambitions? Is this the
achieve? Why? Who You need to be able to achieve my goal? What my goal? When can I work on
right time? Is it
will be involved? track progress and specifically am I going to do? it? When will I complete it?
challenging but also
measure the outcome.
realistic?
Initial ideas – you could use the
notes you made at the Making an
Impression Workshop if you
attended
When will you review your
progress? Will you wait two
weeks? A month?
Mentor response to ideas
Date:
Mentee update – use this space to What have you How have you What steps did you take? Did Is this challenging Are you going to be able to
record actions you have taken achieved? measured this? you change these as you enough? Is it too achieve your goal? Do you
towards your SMART goal went along? challenging? need more or less time?
Mentor response – can you, as a
mentor, offer any further actions
your mentee could take?
Date:
Mentee update
Date: