Find Your Inner Mentor

Many engineers are hesitant to get involved in mentorship because they don’t realize how the skills they already have make them effective mentors. The most important skill for a good mentor is a willingness to help your mentee learn. You don’t have to have all of the answers.

Many mentees assume their mentors are responsible for teaching them everything they’ll need. Instead, mentees must take an active role in their mentorship. An effective mentee is someone who sets their own goals and asks lots of questions.

As a junior engineer, I recently completed a rotation program in which I was paired with three mentors for six weeks each. I am grateful to have had incredible mentors who showed me the qualities and skills important for mentorship. Through this program, I learned I needed to be proactive and involved to be an effective mentee.

This talk is for anyone who has been involved in mentorship, either as a mentor or mentee, or who is interested in becoming involved in mentorship. If you’ve ever thought about participating in mentorship, this talk will help you clarify what’s involved and what skills you already have. If you haven’t ever thought about participating in mentorship, now is a great time to start!

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