Mentoring can be a very important part of career development.

15 Comments

1. AnonymousJune 4,2024 at 5:54PM UTC

   Hi, I am currently a mentor. I met this person at a conference and we hit it off immediately. I liked her vibe and she struck me as someone very resourceful and bright. She is several levels below me in title and 20 years my junior. She works in a completely different industry but in my general profession.

   We speak every other month (we live on opposite coasts) and have had lunch a couple of times when I've traveled on business to her area.

   I offer whatever experience or advice to address her struggles and career path and offer her work-life balance tips and tricks that work for me. She finds our relationship valuable and I like to help her find ways to move forward while enjoying the journey.

2. Dr. Erica WallsJune 4,2024 at 6:13PM UTC

   Awesome!! The key is being intentional about staying connected, and you're doing that beautifully. I'm sure your mentee appreciates all that you do. Truly the gift that keeps giving : )

3. AnonymousJune 4,2024 at 6:41PM UTC

   When I took management seminars earlier in my career, they highlighted the need to "groom" your replacement, as the only way to move up is to have someone ready to do your job. So, I took that to heart, and in each of my management roles, I worked with those who wanted to move into management on ways they could achieve that goal. If that were using today's terminology, I mentored those who aspired to leadership roles. It included working with their interpersonal skills, giving them project leadership responsibilities, and assigning them to areas/presentations where they could highlight their accomplishments to management.

4. Dr. Erica WallsJune 4,2024 at 8:28PM UTC

   Thanks for sharing. You said something SO key: to move up, we can't be the ONLY one who can do the job. If so, we'll get stuck there. So, training someone else is generous and can keep us focused on ways to add more value.

5. AnonymousJune 4,2024 at 8:47PM UTC

   I don't have a mentor at this time but I've had mentors in the past (a few were even bosses at the time).

   I do consider myself a micro-mentor to others though! I sort of fell into this role as I kept coming across women/men and other peers who have been search of some mentorship (even if it's one-off) because they never had that experience. Or, they have/had a mentor, but it didn't seem like a fit.

   Being a micro-mentor has aided me so much in my career because I like to give back to others --- be a supportive and safe space for others who have felt gated out. I also believe the micro-mentor relationship is sometimes a two-way moment for me. Sometimes, the person doesn't even realize they're pouring back into my cup just as much as I'm pouring into theirs.

   Tech world is wild world! I wish I had this sort of access to people (and I still consider myself a newbie), preferably, women who look like me to give me more insight/advice in navigating this world (because we are severely underrepresented in this area). Luckily for me, I am connected to a lot of great digital spaces, like FGB, that helps me get that sense of community, support and mentorship that I don't always have day-to-day.

6. Dr. Erica WallsJune 4,2024 at 9:11PM UTC

   Great perspective! I hadn't thought about the power of micro-mentoring. Certainly, we can help others in big AND small ways. And yes, I agree; mentoring's benefits flow both ways, to givers and receivers. Thank you for sharing.

7. AnonymousJune 5,2024 at 1:55PM UTC

   You're welcome!!

8. Danielle CastilloJune 5,2024 at 12:50PM UTC

   I don't have a mentor but always wanted one. Back when I attended a community college, I wrote a letter to the president at the time, asking her to be my mentor. But never received any response.

9. Dr. Erica WallsJune 5,2024 at 5:29PM UTC

   Hi Danielle, yes - that often happens. People get busy or she may never have received it. I encourage you to try again - this time with someone you know directly. Take your time in deciding who is best, and what you want to gain from the relationship (I mean that in the most humble way possible). How do you want to develop professionally? Sharing that with your new mentors will help them best help you : )

10. AnonymousJune 5,2024 at 12:57PM UTC

    I've never had a mentor but would have loved to have one.

11. AnonymousJune 5,2024 at 2:26PM UTC

    its never too late to get one.

12. Dr. Erica WallsJune 5,2024 at 11:06PM UTC

    Thanks for your input. Is there someone who's work you admire? Could that person become a mentor?

13. Dr. Erica WallsJune 5,2024 at 11:05PM UTC

    What a great example. Like you, I have a male mentor and he's THE BEST!! It's wonderful to develop those relationships over several years. They just grow richer with time. Thanks for sharing!

14. AnonymousJune 7,2024 at 2:28PM UTC

    I both have a mentor and a couple of mentees. The company I work for has a group of volunteer employees that do a mentor matching program a couple times per year, so I try to participate when I can. I find being a mentor to be much easier, but I'm working on being better at driving the relationship as a mentee. Work in progress!

15. AnonymousJune 10,2024 at 10:28PM UTC

    My company doesn’t have a mentor program but one woman has steped up to mentor the new people like me. She is the only reason many haven’t quit.