Thoughts on Mentoring

October 18, 2006 was Disability Mentoring Day, sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, where jobseekers and career changers who have disabilities job-shadow people already in the fields where they want to be--but only for a day. It's also a recruitment tool for the companies and a way for jobseekers to have a first look at a potential employer.

I have attended one Disability Mentoring Day and had several formal mentoring experiences. My DMD experience taught me a few tips about writing Web copy. My former employer's mentoring program helped me clarify future career goals. Since I was thinking about applying for a professional publishing program at George Washington University (and eventually did so, earning the certificate), my mentor gave me some practice editing and writing newsletter articles. Another employer effort kept me on track in an upward mobility program.

Later on through a job-hunting group, the recruiter I was matched with showed me that I did indeed have a range of work in my portfolio. He helped me to organize it and then gave me an assignment--volunteer assistant newsletter editor for a three-day HR conference. (I saved my press pass for several years.) I attended all sessions, not just the one on disability.

Here are some quick thoughts for making future Disability Mentoring Day activities even better:

1) Expand the event to two days or more and rename it. Cut out the disability awareness videos and the company presentations during lunch. Those of us who have disabilities have seen and heard it all before, from the "Ten Commandments" video to the classic and hilarious (but outdated) "A Different Approach," featuring a then-unknown Michael Keaton. Distribute information packets and let us talk more.

2) Make employee participation in the event required, because there are always more participants with wide-ranging interests than mentors. Match people early, and encourage mentor and mentee pairs to communicate well before the event, perhaps working on a small project to review later. It's not enough to observe during meetings. The Day moves at lightning speed.

3) Mentees need to think carefully about their goals so they can be matched well. Be specific. Don't be afraid to contact that person again for assistance if he or she was helpful. Don't wait to reconnect.

With all these positive experiences that mentoring brings, you don't always need a formal program to find mentors or grow in a career. But in science and tech careers, mentors are crucial. After you've been at an organization for a while, you know who is receptive to questions from newbies, as long as they are asked in a non-intrusive, conversational, curious and ready-to- learn way. Great supervisors mentor in this way and by example. It's the same with co-workers. Make the choice to learn from everyone and every experience. And some things you must learn for yourself.