Advice on Mentorship from Our Spring '21 Mentorship Program Mentors

May 10th, 2021

We all know how vital mentorship is to growing and excelling in our career, but do we know how to identify, build, and maintain these relationships? Common questions still surround this hot topic, which is why we asked participating mentors in our Spring ‘21 Mentorship Program to share their advice on the questions below:

How did you identify mentors throughout your career and initially build a relationship?
What piece of advice do you have for young women who are struggling to find a professional mentor?
What are the most important elements to building a strong mentor relationship?
What questions do you wish you asked a mentor early in your career?
What are tips to maintaining strong relationships with mentors throughout your career despite time, job changes, industry pivots, etc?
How can mentees give back to their mentors to make sure the mentor relationship is not one-sided?
What role has peer mentorship played throughout your career?

We consolidated their feedback to help enlighten you as you proceed in your career and expand your network. Because remember: when women rise, we all rise.

Identifying Mentors

How did you identify mentors throughout your career and initially build a relationship?

One of the biggest drivers in my early career to identify and engage mentors was developing my own point-of-view on macro and micro trends in business. I closely followed trends in the news, as presented by major conferences in terms of panel discussion topics and the like, and started to form my own hypothesis for where the world was headed. Then, when meeting a potential mentor at a conference happy hour or other networking event, I had concrete questions for them about their work. At the end of our conversation, I would ask if they would be willing to grab coffee or breakfast at some point in the following months. More often than not, they would say yes, and I believe this was because I led with more thought-provoking conversation rather than coming out of the blue with an ask for their time.

What piece of advice do you have for young women who are struggling to find a professional mentor?

Sit down and sketch out what exactly you are looking to learn from mentors, then see which of your questions can be answered by Google search and blog/podcast consumption. You will likely be left with just a short list of questions unanswered by the internet, at which point you can brainstorm around who exactly in the professional sphere might be able to answer these more nuanced questions. Next, I would send a 1-2 questions in a short, concise email to the people you've identified. Most people are happy to help, though need a clearer picture as to how they can help, because getting a random email asking for a phone call without any context - especially if the questions could be answered through a simple internet search - deters potential mentors from engaging.

Building Relationships

What are the most important elements to building a strong mentor relationship?

(1) A mentee <> mentor relationship should be symbiotic. One of the most important elements to building that is ensuring mentees are offering support to mentors just as mentors as offering that time and energy to mentees. I've consistently heard from my own mentors over the years, that this is what created a mutual investment in our relationship.

(2) Finding commonalities, being open and vulnerable, asking questions, listening, establishing a "nothing is off limits" type of conversation, checking in, asking for what you want / need, expressing mutual interest in each other's professional and personal lives!

What questions do you wish you asked a mentor early in your career?

So often, we focus on the successes. We talk about our milestones and achievements but our challenges are just as, if not more, important. I wish I asked my mentor about their failures and how they learned to fail better over time. Today, I view my failures as successes because of the way I responded to trying moments.

Some questions:

1) What actions did you take (or wish you had taken upon reflecting back) that mattered the most to your career development?

2) How should I think about the stages of my career?

3) What qualities matter most in talent from your perspective? How does this change over time (i.e., from early stage of career to later stages of career)?

4) What has enabled you to get to where you are today? What major challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?

5) What is one thing I may not be thinking about right now that I should be thinking about?

Maintaining Mentor Relationships

What are tips to maintaining strong relationships with mentors throughout your career despite time, job changes, industry pivots, etc?

I am lucky enough to still be in contact with a number of people I've considered mentors throughout my career - I think the best thing that I've done over the years has been to allow my relationships with them to change, in most cases that means my relationship has become more personal. I think it's important to make sure that you're not always just seeking out advice or help. Maintaining regular contact is also important - even if it's virtual coffee every two months and you just talk about current events. Also, proactively agree upon a meeting schedule and get it on the calendar!

How can mentees give back to their mentors to make sure the mentor relationship is not one-sided?

Genuine thanks is a great start, and meaningful feedback! Did something a mentor recommended not work? Tell them the story, talk about why it didn't work and how you'd approach it differently next time. Talk about what you're learning outside of their scope and experiences - that may help your mentor more than you know. It may be a while since they've been in a training or a class.

Peer Mentorship

What role has peer mentorship played throughout your career?

(1) Mentorship has provided me the clarity in my career that enabled me to make educated decisions about my personal career 'strategy.' At certain times this has meant exposing me to a different and new way of thinking about my career as a whole, and other times it has been recommendations of resources to tap into to succeed with what I was doing. The most important way a mentor can contribute to your success is by asking you the right questions and help you create structure around all of the challenges you are grappling with.

(2) Peers are sometimes the best mentors because they're going through similar things to you, at a similar time - and they're more likely to give it to you straight! One of the best ways I've taken advantage of peer mentoring is borrowing templates from an exceptionally organized colleague - I still use them in a different job, at a different company, 5 years later!

(3) The value of mentorship has stayed with me at all moments throughout my career. I have learned a great amount from authentic connections across industries and cultures. I am grateful to have learned from inspiring and talented professionals in my early 20s to now. I am surrounded by people pushing me toward my personal and professional goals.

(4) Being able to have a peer mentor is fundamental to personal and professional growth. Having someone on your side helping you navigate all sorts of questions can be crucial. Ask questions as much as possible, but most importantly listen to the answers and take action. Mentors are meant to help you, but you have to want and be open to the help. Remember the saying "Help me, help you". Mentors can't help you if you don't ask.