One of the most rewarding things that I have ever done is to become a mentor. To have someone tell you how much you meant to their career development, etc. is quite possibly the highlight of my life! Sometimes I didn’t even start out with the knowledge that I was the person’s mentor, it just happened naturally; other times it was an agreed upon partnership. Both were (are) equally rewarding.
Becoming a Mentor
My path to mentorship came by way of design education. When I started, I did not fully comprehend how important I would become to the people in the room. I don’t remember the exact instance, but all of a sudden, my students were repeating things that I had said in class, and then it dawned on me — “my words are having a real impact on these people!” At that point, I began to really prepare for each and every class rather than depend on my own personal experience and existing knowledge to get me through the day. I was already a pretty curious person, but then I took on a student mindset and dove into an untold number of “rabbit holes”
Where to start
While becoming an educator was my path initial path to mentorship, it doesn’t have to be yours. There are many ways of becoming a mentor. Recently, my local Austin AIGA Chapter started a mentorship program — GROW — and while it has had modest beginnings, it’s a start! So, look to any organization or non-profit in your area, or within your discipline, and sign up. Any proactive engagement could lead to becoming a mentor for someone. You can begin to make a difference before you know it!
Do you have teammates at work? Well, here is another opportunity for you! Too often, we fail to appreciate the knowledge that we own and how much this can mean to someone else and their career development. Don’t take this knowledge for granted, assuming that everyone knows what you know. So many times I have shared information about a design process, a piece of design history, etc. that I just assumed everyone knew, when in fact they didn’t. At some point, they communicated to me how thankful they were for having gained this new bit of knowledge.
Another great way to mentor is to give back to your college/university. Reach out to the Professors that made a difference to your career/life and ask if you could be of assistance to their current students. Propose some topics of discussion and present those to the student body. As a working professional, you have the opportunity to give back in a way that could change a person’s perspective on the discipline. Your insights may just be the thing that sets them off in a new direction, affirms that they are on the right track, or wakes them up out of an apathetic slumber.
Yes, you can…
I never thought that I could become a mentor, hence my surprise when I realized that I was one to so many. I made the mistake of thinking that what I knew was common knowledge or what I had to share could be found in a book. What I failed to realize is that it’s all about the human connections and the stories that you have to share, that makes you a valuable asset to someone else looking to make their mark on their discipline. I needed to give myself the grace to realize that what I have done in my career/life was good enough and that someone could benefit from my past experiences. The most interesting stories that I have to share usually come from the things that didn’t go right, rather than the many things that have gone according to plan. What I learned during those trying times allows me to communicate that everyone goes through hard times and if you press on, you will work your way out of them. I believe that we learn and grow so much from failure so don’t be afraid to communicate that to your mentees. This vulnerability makes you approachable, relatable, and human.
It’s a two-way street
One of the things that will be most eye-opening is how much you gain from being a mentor. It is not just your mentee who will reap the benefits of your relationship, but you will as well! You will find that you have a renewed sense of purpose. Your communication skills will improve. Your sense of empathy will become heightened. By becoming a mentor to someone (or many), you will begin to see your impact on the world as those people go on to do great things and become mentors themselves. I have been invited to the classrooms of some former students who are now educators and I cannot tell you how full my heart is to be there and to see them become mentors to their students!
Something else to remember regarding the “two-way” aspect is to always remember to listen. When I first started on my mentorship journey, I felt that I always had to speak and filled the room with words when it wasn’t necessary. So, learning to listen is a huge part of becoming a good mentor. You will learn so much more about the needs of each of your mentees and be better able to address those needs. Give them the space to tell their story and their trust will build. They will begin to see that the relationship isn’t only about you as the mentor, but them as well.
In closing, get out there and share your story and see how much joy this brings you and experience the impact that it has on your mentee(s), the discipline, and the culture at large!
