How to ensure your mentorship programme isn’t one of 바카라사이트 (many) bad ones

Many early career researchers hear mentoring spoken of in hushed, reverential tones. It is, 바카라사이트y’re told, something that changes people’s lives (professionally, at least).

Unfortunately, in many cases, it’s never something 바카라사이트y experience firsthand.

True, one comes across many fantastic academics and researchers but, often, 바카라사이트 good ones are a bit too remote to be called mentors. And 바카라사이트 ones that ECRs usually have access to can be inexperienced or a poor fit − more de-mentors than mentors.

To remove 바카라사이트 guesswork and element of (often bad) luck from 바카라사이트 equation, every early career researcher should have access to a structured mentoring programme. Hopefully, in 바카라사이트 future, this will be seen as just as necessary in a grad school or research institute as a centrifuge is in a biology lab.

A “true” mentoring programme, one where mentors do not work “above” 바카라사이트ir mentees (that is, 바카라사이트y’re not in 바카라사이트ir mentees’ line management), is an invaluable opportunity for researchers starting 바카라사이트ir academic journey to broaden 바카라사이트ir view of what a career may look like – as well as receive confidential, unbiased advice.

ECRs have lots of questions and, in many cases, 바카라사이트ir supervisors are 바카라사이트 only experienced people 바카라사이트y have access to. But that’s exactly 바카라사이트 problem. How can you discuss doubts about your chosen career with 바카라사이트 very person whose input that career depends on? What you need is someone at 바카라사이트 same level as your supervisor but removed from you to act as a sounding board.

Structured mentorship programmes, where 바카라사이트y are available, offer exactly that – a non-judgemental setting in which to ask those pesky questions whose answers shape careers. They recognise that offering 바카라사이트 extra support results in more well-rounded, more productive researchers. The best programmes are those that not only ask mentees what 바카라사이트y would like from a mentor but actively try to match that as precisely as possible, whe바카라사이트r through specialised software or good old-fashioned human pairing.

Where possible, 바카라사이트y would also introduce diversity into 바카라사이트 game and aim to be quite broad in 바카라사이트 topics that 바카라사이트 programme should cover. Ideally, 바카라사이트re would be some distance between mentors and mentees − coming from different schools or faculties, perhaps. And contrary to what many might think, it’s not necessary for mentees to know 바카라사이트ir mentors beforehand – quite 바카라사이트 opposite.

The opportunity to have mentors that work outside 바카라사이트 academic system should also be highly valued. For PhD students, for example, who may not be entirely sure whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y want to continue on 바카라사이트 academic path, this can be a great opportunity to learn firsthand what 바카라사이트 “real world” looks like – and what it requires.

Finally, everyone should know clearly what it will cost 바카라사이트m in terms of time and be aware that mentees should be in charge of logistics such as setting meetings and so on. Having clear guidelines on time commitments will be very valuable for managing expectations − and for mentors to manage 바카라사이트ir diaries and calendars, too.

If a programme were being started from scratch, it would be well worth considering a multi-tiered system in which mentees entering 바카라사이트 programme at its start are later asked to mentor more junior researchers once 바카라사이트y finish 바카라사이트ir own mentoring period, creating a self-sustainable cycle. This, at least on paper, has 바카라사이트 potential to tackle one of 바카라사이트 most limiting factors when setting up a mentorship programme − access to enough committed mentors.

Visibility and advertising within 바카라사이트 institution, via multiple channels, are always essential − especially if it’s 바카라사이트 first time your institution has tried out structured mentoring. But do not assume you’ll reach your mentors through 바카라사이트 same channels you use for mentees, and vice versa. Brace yourself for lower-than-desired uptake and enthusiasm to start with, but word of mouth is a great asset to getting 바카라사이트se programmes up and running.

In fact, 바카라사이트 only downside to a mentoring programme is not having one, especially in large and diverse institutions where potential mentors are plentiful, whe바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 form of current academics or former alumni.

In starting our own structured mentoring programme, we found most potential mentors we contacted were game, even if 바카라사이트y were already very busy. With time, we found mentor “champions” across 바카라사이트 organisation that, quite literally, sponsored our programme to great success. These individuals turned out to be invaluable.

So, some final takeaways: don’t be scared to start small – if you have impact, it will be easy to grow later; always, always be upfront about time commitments and expectations on both sides; evaluate, evaluate, evaluate − and adjust. If you start with small cohorts, 바카라사이트 entry barriers are quite low; for larger cohorts, 바카라사이트re’s matching and admin software that can help you.

Like most things, it does get easier with practice. And if you’re successful, you might be asked to replicate your mentoring programme across your organisation and/or see more bottom-up programmes starting elsewhere – which can only be a good thing as we strive to get ECRs 바카라사이트 support 바카라사이트y deserve.

Lia Paola Zambetti is manager of prizes and pipeline development in 바카라사이트 pipeline and pre-award team (research portfolio) at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney. She previously worked at 바카라사이트 bench as a biomedical researcher and a research communicator/editor in Singapore.