Mentoring Graduates

According to an article called “Congrats, graduate – good luck finding a job” that appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle last month, “A recent poll by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 22 percent of college recruiters do not plan to hire any fresh graduates this spring, and 43.6 percent said they’ll hire fewer graduates than they did last spring.”

It’s a tough job market, especially for fresh faces with little experience. This is where mentoring can really help. Remember, you don’t necessarily need to be in a corporate environment to work under the gaze of a mentor: sometimes it’s a matter of asking someone to mentor you.

The reading buddies of the professional world have a different name but serve a similar purpose: to provide guidance and support while developing you to become a stronger professional. They are now called mentors.

Have career conversations with experts in your field. This is different than networking to find a job. Career conversations are focused on listening to someone’s career journey. Through these conversations, you will get to know someone and can ascertain if s/he might be the right mentor for you. It will also make it easier to “ask” this person to be your mentor.

Types of mentoring graduates need-

Support

The supportive mentor is someone you respect and look up to, but is also someone you can be vulnerable around if you need to be. As one can imagine, the “real world” can be a bit shocking to new graduates and this mentor is your go-to in times of need. This mentor may be a peer, or close to it, who has gone through a similar transition recently.

The support provided by this mentor reaffirms that you are not alone this new stage of your life and who reassures you that your company and colleagues truly care.

Inspiration

The inspirational mentor is easy to spot, but looks different for every individual. This mentor is someone who is in a place where you wish to be one day. This mentor may currently work in your dream job or they are crushing it in your current role. This mentor has successfully routed his or her career path and can provide inspiration and guidance for yours.

The inspiration provided by this mentor can come in forms of a job shadow experience, a lecture or informational interviews, ideally with the goal of strategic career planning.

Professional Growth

The mentor who enables your professional growth is likely someone you directly report to who has witnessed your early wins and can champion you within the company. This mentor plays a crucial role in the development and adoption of your professional brand. This mentor is likely a respected leader within the company whose opinions are taken seriously.

The professional growth this mentor helps you achieve will move the needle for you in significant ways.

Simply put, different mentors serve different purposes and throughout different stages in one’s career – different mentors will surface. However as a new graduate, these three qualities in mentors have been immensely important to success in my first quarter as a professional.