Getting Started > Overview of the MentorNet Interface

Once logged on, your Profile (home) page is displayed, and you will see a screen similar to the one below:

UIoverview

The exact detail shown will depend on your security privileges. For example, mentors and mentees are unlikely to be able to see the Admin options in the left-hand menu, and only administrators will have access to functions such as Add Mentor.

Header Information

At the top of the screen you see summary information about the current user, including:

•	My Profile A link that takes you back to your Profile (home) page.

•	News A counter that tells you how many unread news articles you have. Click it to go straight to the News page.

•	Messages A counter that tells you how many unread messages you have. Click it to go straight to your Messaging page.

•	Your logo Your organisation logo is displayed in the top right corner of the screen, next to your profile photo.

•	Your own personal photo or avatar This is displayed in the top right corner of the screen.

Left Menu Options

On the left of the screen you see groups of menu items. The exact list will depend on your security privileges, but is likely to include:

•	Search The Search function allows you to search MentorNet by keywords, including searching for a mentor with specific skills. See Searching for a Mentor (Mentees Only) for more information.

•	Mentors A list of all mentors that you are allowed to view. You can click on a mentor and see more details, including photos of each mentor.

•	Mentees A list of all mentees that you are allowed to view. You can click on a mentee and see more details, including photos of each mentee. Typically, you can only see mentees that have been assigned to you, but this may be customised by the administrator.

•	Resources A list of useful documents, information, and web sites that has been created by your administrator. This forms the MentorNet Knowledge Base.

•	Admin This provides access to various administrative functions such as user security management, screen/form customisation, and so on. It is visible only to administrators.

•	Forums This provides access to the Discussion Forum functionality. You can also see a list of all forum users.

•	Reporting This provides access to the dashboard and detailed reports that provide visibility into key areas such as how often mentors and mentees are communicating with each other, how developed each mentoring relationship is, and how this has changed over time.

•	Conversations This allows you to view your conversations and messages, and to send messages to others. The administrator defines who you are allowed to send messages to, but you are always able to send a message to the administrator.

•	News This shows you all the news items that the administrator has published. You can delete articles or simply mark them as read.

User Tabs

Beneath the user tabs, you can see the individual information relating to the user whose profile you are viewing. When you are viewing the profile of a mentor or mentee, the top of the screen displays a series of tabs that contain information related to the user who is currently logged in. The exact list will depend on your security privileges and whether the profile being viewed is a mentor or mentee, but the tabs are likely to include:

•	Profile This tab displays basic contact details, along with an About Me section, skills, and links to Skype and LinkedIn if appropriate.

•	Mentees (mentors only) This tab (visible only to mentors) shows all the mentees that are assigned to that mentor.

•	Expenses (mentors only) If enabled by your organisation, this tab (visible only to mentors) allows a mentor to track and submit expenses for authorisation by the administrator.

•	Activity Log This tab is where mentors and mentees can create reports or logs during the mentoring relationship. It is typically used to document meetings, discussions or other events.

•	Documents/Photos You can upload documents and photos that relate to the mentoring relationship and that can help keep track of interactions between the mentor and mentee.

Profile Information

When you are viewing the profile of a mentor or mentee, the top of the screen displays a series of tabs that contain information related to the user who is currently logged in. The exact content will depend on the way the fields have been customised by your Administrator, and on the information the user has entered, but it is likely to include:

•	About Me A brief summary about the user.

•	Programme logos Logos representing any mentoring programmes the user is engaged with (either as a mentor or as a mentee) are displayed next to the About Me information.

•	Skype and LinkedIn details Icons for contacting the user via Skype, and for launching the user's LinkedIn profile, are displayed on the right side of the screen if the user has entered the appropriate information.