WHAT IS A MENTOR?

 

(n.) a wise and trusted counsellor and teacher

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Mentoring is a qualitative experience and is difficult to quantify. The benefits are not always immediate. It should be a symbiotic, rather than a parasitic relationship. As a group, SEO candidates come from backgrounds that are traditionally underexposed to industries that we provide access to. Often, they know far fewer people in the industry and can greatly benefit from the mentoring and networking opportunities.

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BENEFITS OF MENTORING

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Candidates:

• Exposure to an experienced professional with vast knowledge about an industry.

• Access to a sounding board to help you develop a mature perspective on an industry of interest.

• Access to a confidante who you can be completely honest with helps to develop a sense of comfort and belonging. This is useful, in particular, in keeping talented ethnic minorities and women in industry.

• Access to someone who cheers you on and helps boost your confidence and self-esteem.

• Access to a positive role model who is where you’d like to be and prioritises giving back.

• Access to additional networking opportunities, created through your mentors’ contacts.

 

Mentors:

• Taking an opportunity to give back.

• Demonstrating your support for broader diversity initiatives.

• Reflecting on your own success and career path.

• Developing coaching skills someone and further develop these coaching skills.

• Access to potential mentors for your own career.

• Mentors frequently have great admiration and respect for their SEO mentees and report back that they feel they gained more from the experience than the mentees themselves. Many mentees are remarkable and accomplished young people and many have overcome great obstacles.

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SKILL SET OF AN EFFECTIVE MENTOR:​

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• Ability to listen.

• Ability to give constructive and helpful feedback.

• An understanding of the importance of professional relationship building, particularly for people who come from backgrounds that do not traditionally have established networks within industry.

• Honesty

• Objectivity

• Willingness to provide thoughtful coaching and guidance.

• Non-judgmental and open approach

• Supportive nature, particularly when mentee makes mistakes.

• A desire to help mentee do his/her best and recover from setbacks

• Ability to openly discuss gender, identity, ethnicity, etc., and to consider multiple perspectives about how these play into the workforce.