Mentoring: when seeds become plants
“So, what are you going to do now?” It’s a question graduates are frequently asked and which often causes more panic than intended. College leavers can, however, look for support through a mentoring scheme – a support system which focuses on important aspects such as employability and life beyond graduation.
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you” – Bob Proctor, Canadian philosopher and author
Mentorships can be provided by universities and sometimes the government. Mentoring is also considered important by prospective employers. Students with mentors often have more effective CVs and a stronger grasp of their potential that can make them attractive to employers. Mentees are given valuable opportunities and experiences tailored just for them; avenues they wouldn’t necessarily have open to them without the guidance of industry professionals.
Having a positive role model can help young people avoid pitfalls at a pivotal point in their growth as an individual. A mentor can oversee important periods of personal realisation and provide their mentee with a different perspective to their non-mentored peers.
“I don’t care what you do for a living – if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor” – Denzel Washington
“Youth mentoring programmes work,” says David L. Du Bois, Professor of Health Sciences and author on mentoring. “Significant and growing evidence demonstrates that such programmes can improve outcomes across academic, behavioural, emotional and social areas of young people’s lives.”
With this proven success, the question was asked why there wasn’t a UK state-supported mentoring scheme post-graduation for young people seeking employment.
The UK government stepped forward, investing in a National Mentoring Initiative – an inclusive, non-discriminatory scheme available to all. Many jobseekers from ethnic minority backgrounds have attended the Mentoring Initiative’s events, some of which are hosted by industry professionals from large companies.
The UK Government also established the Civil Service Mentor Scheme for young people. This six-month programme involves a one-to-one mentoring session each month, with an experienced civil servant partnered with their allocated student.
“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image but giving them the opportunity to create themselves” – Steven Spielberg
“This was an incredibly rewarding experience,” says Joseph Perrins of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. “It was fantastic seeing so many valuable conversations take place and relationships develop. It has been wonderful seeing my mentee grow as an individual and really consider his future ambitions.”
Many successful people get where they are because of a mentor. Mark Zuckerberg, for example, who was mentored by Steve Jobs, who was mentored by Mike Markkula; Google’s Eric Schmidt was mentored by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. This list goes on…
A mentor is able to assess and be aware of their mentee’s needs and skills and knows how to utilise these to get them best prepared for their career. A mentorship is well worth considering when you’re preparing for success in the workplace.