Mentorship is very pertinent to address problems of loss of talent by industry/employers and loss of or delayed opportunity to achieve full potential by individuals
This is one of the areas I am passionate about. I think the interest is sparked by the culture of my profession. Academic institutions encourage or even demand that employees use their knowledge and expertise to give back to the community. I say demand because this is an important aspect of our annual appraisal.
I had always known university rankings took into account factors such as innovation and technology, quality and impact of research, quality of teaching. But learnt for the first time that employability was a factor, when I was applying for the Masters at the university of Melbourne. At the time it was ranked 4th in terms of graduate employability, now ranked number 8. Continues to be number one in Australia and stands at number 32 in the world as at 2025 rankings. I discovered the amount of effort invested in mentoring students prior to leaving the university was just amazing. I took interest in mentorship then, and signed up for the mentorship program as a mentee. This was eye-opening in many respects especially in developing the interest to acquire few skills and identifying how certain skills can be transferred in different contexts.
Mentors have been mentees at some point. I was mentored by colleagues along my career development. I have also been a mentor for a long time without even realising it. In retrospect I wonder whether my mentorship was it impactful or efficient. Add to this the reality that some people need a mentor to transition to their next level, and they are not even aware they need one.
In 2022 when I applied for the access connections mentoring program at The University of Melbourne, and had to undergo training to become a mentor. One of the profound takeaways was in this message: The mediocre mentor tells| The good mentor explains| The superior mentor demonstrates| The greatest mentors inspire. Lucia Ballas Traynor
Below is a list of the common problems that mentees grapple with
Identifying and documenting skills and competencies and understanding the difference between the two. Where and how you obtained the skills and competencies could be through education and training, engagement with workplace procedures whether through internship or volunteering.
Identifying and acknowledging skills gaps
Developing a strategy or plan to acquire the missing skills
Dispelling negative aspects of human nature such as fear and doubt and replacing these with confidence, a daring attitude and perseverance.
Adopting the adage that sometimes there is nothing to lose and everything to gain when we allow ourselves to take a shot at something and it turns out we suck at it.
Some of the high-flyers I have mentored seemed to struggle with mental wellbeing issues due to the constant pressure to excel. Average achievers struggle with self-doubt. This where focusing on self-discovery and awareness and managing the comparison trap is crucial, so that one is not discouraged by the success of their peers and ends up feeling like they have not amounted to anything. We have got to honour our individual journeys, embrace our unique talents and paths without settling for mediocrity.
It is okay not to know
One of the key features of mentorship is that it creates a safe place for conversations that revolve around lack of knowledge and understanding or no idea about what to do with one’s career prospects. When faced with this situation, the key thing is to seek guidance and direction or even assurance that establishing a career path takes time. One might have relevant skills or maybe not. They need advise to understand that they can state in their resumes that they are willing to learn certain skills on the job, or they have enrolled in an online course to learn these skills. This is very much acceptable.
In my fourth year as a PhD candidate, I can attest to the powerful impact of mentorship. I have gone to some of my supervisory meetings feeling so lost, confused and out of my depth. When we start meetings it’s usually what I had stated in the email as I request for a meeting which sets the agenda. We exchange pleasantries. One of the supervisors would ask about the concern I raised in the email in a way that invites me to shed more light on the problem. I never shy away from speaking the honest truth. “I don’t understand how to incorporate the concepts of epistemology and ontology in the methodology chapter”. This is a real example of something I struggled with for so long. Even at a point when it felt like a broken record because I kept bringing the same problem, there were no funny looks, or comments to suggest ‘not this again’. My supervisors would take turns to explain. Recommend further readings, share links to articles or titles of books or provide names of authors. I always leave meeting with such insights and confidence and a detailed plan of what information to look for. This is the cornerstone to the PhD journey. Saying I don’t know is not offensive or frowned upon.
While there is plenty of information online which can be used for a number of imperatives including self-help and e-mentors, locating this information may require guidance or even expertise to repackage it in ways that serve specific purposes. On the other hand, the human element in personal interactions of any kind makes all the difference. So, more often than not, people need to hear personal stories. Experiences about their challenges and how they navigated the different seasons and landscapes. My mentees are always in awe when I share my journey. We share in an empathetic way to demonstrate that what our mentees are going through is nothing to be frowned upon. We acknowledge differences in career trajectories as determined by factors like age, culture, diverse interests and family dynamics. Issues of equality and equity, background and available support also play a role. As a first-generation graduate, I have also realised that it often comes with unique challenges which are acknowledged in so many forums especially when discussing access to higher education and training. It is among the factors considered during the mentor-mentee matching process at the Access Connections Mentoring Program.
Some of the generic skills for early career candidates include the following
- Networking with purpose
- Communication skills, encompassing all the four domains: writing, speaking, listening and reading skills. They might apply to various degrees depending on different contexts.
- Teamwork, we are in the era of collaboration
- Use of online tools specific to the nature of the job
- Pursuing a cause that serves and benefits others: Sustainable Development Goals would provide a starting point. The world needs agency in many respects.
Post Script
Not everyone can be a mentor, despite their credentials and expertise. Certain traits are a requirement for one to be a mentor, such as kindness, empathy, patience, good listening skills. Another common trait among mentors is their natural propensity to take interest in what others are doing, to gather, organise and share information exchange knowledge.
I hope this post helped you figure out why you might have been experiencing stagnation, confusion and even feelings of hopelessness. You might need a mentor.
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Edusphere-By-Bassie 