Mentorship plays an integral role in developing the next generation of talent through functional expertise, knowledge sharing and technical industry insights. According to a research study by Olivet Nazarene University, 76% of professionals strongly agree that mentorship is extremely important but only 37% currently have a mentor. From teachers or professors within the academic space, an experienced colleague, a supervisor or senior professional from the workplace or industry leaders, mentor relationships can come in many forms. While the importance of mentorship is clearly recognized, many senior professionals shy away from being a mentor because of:
A mentor is an industry professional with a few years of experience under their belt who is willing to share their knowledge, and guide young professionals who may be current students or recent graduates. An effective mentor is passionate about giving back to the student community and understands that their role is to be dependable, nurturing, authentic and engaging. The first priority should be the needs of the younger early in career professionals through active listening and consistent communication to help them transition into the workplace.
According to a research study by Olivet Nazarene University, 76% of professionals strongly agree that mentorship is extremely important but only 37% currently have a mentor.
The goal of a mentor should be to recognize the challenges faced by the mentee and help create a roadmap for them to achieve their goals. This is often achieved through sharing personal experiences, technical knowledge and spending time helping the mentee unlearn and think differently through many holistic techniques.
According to the CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workplace Happiness Survey, 91% of professionals with a mentor are ‘satisfied’ and ‘happy’ with their career and work. Having a mentor helps young professionals navigate in the real world as they launch their career. Mentors provide a world of knowledge and experience from real scenarios. Interestingly, a research study has shown that mentees are promoted 5 times more than those without mentors and those who choose to mentor are 6 times more likely to be promoted.
In order to nurture a relationship with a mentee, mentors have to place importance on consistent communication on a weekly basis and find time to listen and engage in active conversation. Mentors should also provide feedback, honest opinion and nudge mentees to think and find creative solutions to problems without handing out answers. A study by Moving Ahead has found that 87% of mentors and mentees feel empowered by their relationships and it has helped them develop greater confidence. It helps both parties to stay sharp, keep learning and improving their skillset.
A study by Moving Ahead has found that 87% of mentors and mentees feel empowered by their relationships and it has helped them develop greater confidence.
Here are the top 5 reasons why you should consider being a mentor:
Mentoring young people will open up opportunities for you to learn from them about new trends and changes in the environment while building your personal brand.
We currently have mentors from many industries with various focused skill sets – digital marketing, lead generation, market research, content marketing, data science, machine learning, to name a few. With mentors from major multinational companies and startups in the region, we are creating a culture of mentorship where industry professionals make the time to connect and guide younger graduates through remote programs.
Giving back through mentorship will help you solidify your learnings, grow leadership skills, and become a more confident professional, guide and speaker.
In order to become a mentor, it is important to:
If you are a focused subject matter expert within a specific field and are open to exploring mentorship opportunities, we would love to hear from you.
Qureos is trying to help students and recent graduates upskill and transition from university life to the real workplace through apprenticeships under the guidance of industry mentors. We are building a global community of apprentices who are seeking to learn and grow through the platform. If you would like to learn more about Qureos or connect with a member of our team, please feel free to contact us at hello@qureos.com.