My Perspective on Mentoring

As summer is rapidly coming to an end, we are getting ready to say goodbye to our 2023 summer interns. Reflecting on this experience, it's clear that these internships have proven to be a win-win, enriching both the students and our company. Bio::Neos has had interns since 2006 and worked with mentoring volunteers for at least the last 5 years. We will be continuing this trend for the fall with another high school team setup for a volunteer program for the semester, and our plans to attend upcoming career fairs at the University of Iowa and other institutions of higher education in search of summer interns for next year.?

Investing your time as a mentor can be an amazing experience for business owners and their teams. The best part for me is the great feeling of fulfillment and purpose whenever I can make a positive impact on a student’s educational experiences and career exploration, but there are plenty of other great reasons to get involved in these types of experiences. For example, teaching isn't just a one-way street; it actually helps you learn better and serves as a strong method for a team to boost their communication, empathy, and adaptability to different learning styles. And guess what? This kind of thing can actually boost one’s leadership skills and give their career a real boost!

I’d also like to highlight something that I have identified through my teaching and mentoring experiences. From my perspective, there is a noticeable learning gap that frequently exists between students and their practical needs within a field. I also don’t believe it would be fair to put the burden of addressing that gap solely on our education systems, as they are already doing a significant amount of work to build the foundations that allow students to learn career skills. Regardless, this gap exists, and because of it, many students don’t get an opportunity to experience some of the environments, tools, and problems that will best prepare them for their careers, considering they will likely encounter these things on a daily basis in professional work settings. While these additional skills might not be the incorporated into high school or higher education curricula, they unquestionably provide students with advantages for their future careers. So how do we address this gap? Project based, experiential learning experiences like internships and volunteer projects hosted by an experienced mentor! I view this as not only a way for myself and our team to give back to our community and reduce some of that burden on the already overloaded education system, but also as an important investment in our future workforce.

But what if you don’t have the time to create one of these programs in your own organization? I know it seems as though everyone is pressed for time in almost all aspects of life… However, establishing an internship or mentoring program can be streamlined and efficient for employers by leveraging various strategies. Delegation proves crucial; assigning program coordination to a dedicated team within the organization can be a fulfilling and engaging way to get your team involved, and partnering with local community development organizations can significantly ease the administrative burden (for example, Workplace Learning Connection in our area is a mission-driven organization to give students increased access and opportunities to explore careers in middle school and high school – you should look to see if you might have a similar organization near you!). Engaging volunteers in projects related to, but separate from, the core services of your organization can yield substantial benefits without adding much risk. Ask your employees if they have any ideas for projects that they would like to do in their free-time but have been unable to find any opportunities to make them happen; tapping into their enthusiasm can foster a sense of collaboration and skill-sharing. Furthermore, employers can identify low priority internal projects that have been on hold due to time constraints and enlist volunteers to assist, amplifying productivity with low risk and minimal setup as these projects have been previously defined. You could even consider engaging with an interested volunteer ahead of the commitment to a project and simply asking them for ideas about what they would like to accomplish. Finally, local and regional universities can be valuable partners in program setup and management, offering access to eager students seeking experience. By embracing these approaches, employers can establish impactful internship and mentoring initiatives with minimal strain on their resources.

As always, I am thankful to have been able to spend my summer with our amazing interns. And this year, I am hoping that my experience will inspire others to do the same! Please reach out if you are interested in discussing this topic in more depth, and keep me updated if my note has encouraged you to more closely consider setting up a program of your own.