A Practical Guide to Finding Mentors
Mentorship. You may associate the word with professional development seminars, but in fact examples of mentorship are steeped in all avenues of society. Would little Harry become the magical Harry Potter if Professor Dumbledore was not there to guide him? Consider the great Socrates-Plato-Aristotle trio. Socrates mentored Plato, Plato mentored Aristotle, and together they changed the way we perceive the universe! Proper mentorship has altered the course of politics, literature, art, and science throughout history.
As we transition through graduate school, we develop our interests and learn to prioritize our values. We are excited to kickstart our careers! The world is our oyster, but it is too vast to steer all by ourselves! Although Google knows almost everything, we struggle to find a career path that will suit our strengths, values, and provide assurance that we will love the job. To make informed and courageous decisions, we need to hear from those who have experienced a similar journey.
We need help! We need to reach out!
I did not.
During graduate school, I was surrounded by brilliant colleagues with excellent academic careers but somewhat disconnected from the scientific world that exists outside of academia. Unaware of the full spectrum of career options for a PhD, I continued to do postdoctoral research. While post-graduates are growing fast in number, academic positions are not. Pretty old news! Had I spoken with alumni or connections who pursued non-academic career paths, I could have made a more informed decision. We need to learn from our connections who are experienced and willing to help. To achieve this, we need well-organized programs to develop these connections.
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LSCDS Mentorship Program
The Life Sciences Career Development Society (LSCDS) aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry by arranging numerous networking and career events throughout the year. The fast-growing life sciences industry not only conducts research, but also translates academic research into products or services and communicates the research where necessary. Despite the available roles across the life sciences sector, the transition from academia to industry remains a roadblock. It takes courage to move out of our comfort zone. Luckily, there are many resources available to help navigate the transition from academia to industry once we commit to it, such as the LSCDS Mentorship Program.
The LSCDS Mentorship Program is a six-month mentorship program that pairs University of Toronto students with professional mentors in their field of interest to bridge the knowledge gap. The program launched on January 18 and will run until June. Mentees and mentors were paired based on their career interests or professional development goals. This year, 63 professionals from Business Development, Clinical R&D, Consulting, Industrial R&D, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Medical/ Science Communications, Regulatory Affairs, Sales, and Science Policy have kindly volunteered to guide our mentees. There will be one-on-one virtual interactions between the mentor-mentees and formally organized events, including skill-building workshops and networking opportunities. Mentees will learn about day-to-day tasks involved in the mentor’s job, receive career guidance, and acquire valuable knowledge to enable a smooth transition from academia. A monthly newsletter full of mentorship tips is a new feature this year.
Not a UofT Graduate?
What if you are not a UofT graduate or you do not have access to such programs or resources? How can you find a mentor?
Dr. Nana Hyung-Ran Lee, Director of Graduate Professional Development & Mentorship at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine explained the process of self-navigating to find a mentor.
Dr. Lee believes everyone should have a mentor for career and personal guidance. Ideally, you should have a team of three to five mentors from different sectors. You may want to learn from a woman in science, an immigrant, or someone with a balanced family life. Geographical proximity can also be an important factor for some mentor-mentees.
How to find a mentor:
Finding a mentor is an organic process, says Dr. Lee. Finding a mentor starts with assessing the need or objective. Consider what exactly you need help for and how a mentor could contribute to those specific needs. Once you are clear about what you want, look for the connections who would be willing to help.
Scan and expand your network
Scan through your networks, re-establish connections, join groups or platforms with shared commonalities to meet new people. Reach out to people from professional networking groups, collaborations, LinkedIn connections, graduate platform peers, or alumni groups of alma maters. Dr. Lee has met most of her mentors on LinkedIn. I have met one of my mentors in a career seminar where we were invited as speakers. Developing meaningful engagement is the key.
Reach out
While reaching out to connections for the first time, address them formally, and briefly request an informational interview. Wait for two weeks before you write them again if you do not receive a reply. Assess during the interviews who best fits your needs and follow up from there.
Meet, greet, and build
Presenting our human self is essential to developing meaningful relationships. Talking about our interests, values, and goals will break the ice and allow everyone to get to know each other. Prepare well for each meeting by having a clear agenda. List questions or subjects to discuss, and by the end of the session, make a goal-oriented action plan. Thank the person for their time. Update the person on your progress as you complete the action items and schedule another meeting at their convenience if you have questions. Communicating twice a year is ideal, but it may vary. While achieving your goals and growing through these interactions, this person will slowly become your mentor. Understanding each other’s expectations and maintaining clear communication are essential for a successful mentor-mentee relationship. The process may seem slow but building any solid relationship requires time and effort.
Importantly, let your mentor know how they are making a difference in your life and that you appreciate their contribution. Consider sending a ‘thank you’ note on occasion instead of an email as a personal touch..
Eventually, return the favor to your communities by mentoring others.
More mentorship resources:
UofT Mentorship and Peer Programs
Mentorship Program for UofT University College students
Mentorship program for new immigrants in canada
Guide to starting a mentorship program
Mentorship Foundations Training
E-course on finding your own mentor
Peer Resources' Find a Mentor Services
Mentorship programs around the world
Six Habits of Highly Effective Mentees
How to Be the Mentee a Mentor Would Die For
Good Luck!
