Mentoring Roles

Mentors take a special interest in helping another person succeed in his/her professional development.  Over the course of a career, professionals are encouraged to seek a variety of mentors who may serve multiple roles, including:

Supporter:     provides support and encouragement

Teascher:      provides concrete, constructive feedback, knowledge and insight

Counselor:    shares knowledge gained through experience

Role Model:   demonstrates qualities that the mentored can aspire to achieve

Sponsor:       facilitates networking opportunities

Mentoring Benefits

For the Mentor:

• Mentors gain personal satisfaction from helping the mentored, especially when the one who is mentored achieves success.
• Successful mentors are most likely to be able to recruit and retain people of high caliber who can help produce better research, papers and grant proposals.
• In helping the mentored to expand their professional network, mentors can strengthen their professional relationships.
• Mentoring helps faculty stay on top of new knowledge and techniques.
• The mentored often become collaborators on current and future projects.

For the Mentored:

• A strong mentoring relationship can help those mentored to optimize learning.
• Mentors can assist the mentored with their professional development.
• Mentors help to expand the professional networks of those who are mentored.
• Mentors provide personalized, professional guidance.