The Benefits Of Having A Mentor

MENTORING 101

"Congratulations Class of 2021! You have passed with flying colors despite all the challenges that came your way like a global pandemic . This means that you are  prepared for whatever else might come your way." Optimism has always been key themes in most graduation speeches. I never heard a speaker say now that you have graduated , good luck in finding a job! One important thing a graduate should take with them other than the diploma and more confidence is a good Mentor; someone to check in with to help you measure your own growth and development. 

Definition by washington.edu

A mentor may share with a mentee (or protege) information about his or her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling. ... A mentor may help with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources.

In my 30 year career journey I found my mentors or my mentors found me. Some great mentor-mentee relationships examples include one with my Mentor Mrs. Linda. I was a junior in college when I met her and it was what some might call a "divine appointment". I met her at an airport gate waiting for a delayed flight back to Maryland where she saw me studying, and asked which college and that's when our relationship started.

I found out she was an alumni of the college I was attending at the time Bowie State University and we had mutual professors. It was an instant connection. I kept in contact and found out she was a marketing manager for a large firm. She was able to make a presentation in one of class projects in my senior year. Later she mentored me and got me involved in networking organizations like NPCBW National Congress for Black Women. I learned a lot from these type of leadership activities and encourage graduates to;

find a mentor who is a leader, motivational and inspirational.

5 QUICK TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS MENTOR RELATIONSHIP:

• Be open as a Mentee in a Mentor search. In this case my mentor found me.
• Developing a mentoring relationship early in the academic career journey can give you a head start and insight into your career.
• Making connection with someone with connections has its' advantages.
• Networking with someone with a wealth of experience who is willing to be a positive influence can go a long way in the career journey. Never know when you might need them. Mentors can also be a great resource for employment or university references in the case you're thinking of advancing your degree.
• Find a Mentor who is engaging and who is interested in your success and professional growth. You may be able to tell early if it's a good match.

A Mentor can also be someone you can bounce back ideas from.

Below are 5 key components for an effective mentor mentee relationship by TechTello. Full article link below:

In the article link below, Media Personality Jessica Abo gives really good tips on how to find your Mentor. She says that engaging and maintaining a mentoring relationship is really on the part of the Mentee. Do you agree?

Anna Johansonn, a freelance writer in Entrepreneur wrote in a 2017 article re mentoring:

"Unless you already have experience, you owe it to yourself to find people who can broaden your perspective and illuminate for you details you'd otherwise miss."

WHERE TO FIND A MENTOR

Fortunately some universities and workplaces have a Mentorship program. I believe that if a company is offering a mentoring program, it indicates that they are investing in their employees or students and understand that new graduates may need a role model to look up too. This can also alleviate some anxieties new graduates will have in starting a new career. The whole process can be overwhelming.

Benefits for Both the Mentor and Mentee

Some will argue that the person who benefits the most from a mentoring relationship is the Mentee or the person being mentored. The truth is that all parties involved including the organization, if it's in a formal setting also benefits from a Mentoring Program. University of Southampton in the U.K has a model Mentorship program as described in the article link below. They outline the benefits for the mentor, Mentee and the university. Here is a summary of what can be gained from a mentor relationship:

From the study, Quinn identified the following as being generic benefits for mentees:

• career advancement, including a higher rate of promotion
• higher salaries
• greater success in achieving external research grants
• personal and professional development, including increased job-related wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence, and better work-life balance
• preparation for the future and heightened career aspirations
• developed networking skills

The specific benefits of being a mentor include:

• recognized involvement in a program of strategic importance to your Faculty
• new perspectives and insight into your Faculty
• potential for networking
• additional experience in staff management and development
• opportunity for self reflection, and personal satisfaction, fulfilment, particularly satisfaction form seeing junior staff progress
• funding bodies increasingly value an active mentoring program and often encourage senior staff to be mentors
• developing mentoring/coaching skills
• career rejuvenation

Increasingly, funding bodies require research staff to have access to an active mentoring program. .An active and successful mentoring scheme brings benefits to your Faculty and the University by:

• improving academic performance through staff development
• improving communication between individuals/groups/units
• reinforcing your Faculty’s commitment to learning and development
• creating a breeding ground for fresh ideas and innovations
• enhancing your Faculty’s reputation through improved career destinations of its research staff
• demonstrating to funding bodies that we already have an active and successful mentoring program in place
• increased employee productivity, motivation, retention and commitment

Other places to find a Mentor are 1) online Mentoring networks, 2) professional network events, 3) business or company events, 4) fitness clubs, 5) social medias like LinkedIn. See full link of sources to find mentors in article below.

For example, I connected with a potential Mentor via LinkedIn. I sent her a little note to tell her I am thinking of advancing my career and am seeking advice and mentoring. She is a professor in a nursing program and told me she would love to meet with me. It doesn't hurt to initiate.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MENTOR AND CAREER COACH

It's not the same as a preceptor or career counselor. "A mentor is someone who can give you advice and support specific to your industry, role or organization, usually for free. Typically, a mentor has the job you would like to have later in your career and is an essential resource in your efforts to achieve career success. Your mentor can help you grow professionally and navigate tough decisions by sharing tips relevant to your field or area of expertise that they have found helpful in their own career path.

A career coach is someone you pay to help you identify the right career fit, enhance your job search or work performance and make informed decisions about your professional development and long-term career goals. This person can help you discover more about your professional identity to boost your confidence, obtain greater job satisfaction and hone your strategic career plan. In addition, a coach can also help you with various business tools, such as your LinkedIn profile, resume and cover letter."

How Do Companies Use Mentoring in the Workplace?

Successful companies large and small use mentoring to tackle complex human resource challenges. In fact, according to the ATD, workplace mentoring is on the rise with 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies offering formal, corporate mentorship programs to their employees. As the labor market continues to get tighter, more and more companies are relying on formal mentorships in the workplace to engage, develop, and retain their top talent. Companies like "Caterpillar" showcase their successful program in Gloat article below:

?1. Caterpillar:

The world’s largest construction equipment manufacturer is also a leader in employee mentoring. “Mentors at Caterpillar provide guidance on almost every aspect of in-house practice such as career exploration, corporate culture, soft skills development, organizational understanding, internal enterprise awareness, work-life balance, and community knowledge”

Steven Weidinger, a journalist for the Washington Post writes in a July 2020 column, "A good Mentor will be able to assist you in both your personal and professional development

—essentially, helping you realize your full potential.

Here are some of the benefits of having a workplace mentor: Help guide you toward reaching your goals, hold you accountable, offer honest feedback...

This info graphic chart below summarizes the benefits of having a mentor and how to find one presented by Kitty Boitnott | Mar 28, 2020 | Mentoring, Mentorship, Teachers in Transition (see full article link below)

MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN SEEKING A MENTOR

Common reasons why some people don't seek mentor-ship is because they're looking for the right fit or seeking for specific personality traits. In the article above by Caroline Castrillon in a Forbes article,https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2019/11/26/5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-seeking-a-mentor/?sh=5e2c3d335ab6 it's advised to keep an open mind in order to gain from the relationship. In summary the common mistakes people make are:

• Having unclear career goals-have an idea of what your goals are before meeting with a mentor.
• Looking for a one-size-fits-all mentor-looking for perfection in a mentor. you might be one of those people that might need more than one mentor.
• Considering only more experienced mentors

*My advice is to start somewhere preferably while you're in college and when starting a new job, and getting more than one mentor.

Recommended Read.

Book Overview

"Ask the best leaders in any organization how they learned to be successful, and you often hear the same answer: they had a good mentor. That's why in this essential and easy-to-read reference book, international leadership expert John C. Maxwell gives readers the bottom line on mentoring--what it is, why they should do it, and how they can do it most effectively. In Mentoring 101, he guides readers in the art of mentoring by explaining how to choose the right person to mentor, how to create the right environment for leaders to thrive and grow, how to help people become better, and how to overcome the most intimidating hurdle of all: getting started. What if you spent your entire life achieving but never shared your wisdom with anyone else? Mentoring is the key to creating a lasting legacy, and Mentoring 101 is your personalized key to seeing that journey through." (Book sold by Thriftsbook)

CONCLUSION:

Thanks for reading. Asking that you weigh in on this topic of Mentoring.

Have you found your Mentor? Are you a Mentor? What advice do you have to new graduates 2021?

Please provide information if you would like to be a Mentor to a new graduate.

By Gina DesRosiers, RN, BSN, Travel Nurse with Prolink Healthcare currently on assignment in Baltimore, Maryland.