I have decided to get a mentor (sounds like I just went out and purchased one!) but seriously I though that since I am a new graduate I would like to be guided by someone who I respect and who I see as being knowledgeable and experienced in the library field and I have to say I am honoured to have the mentor that I have. I feel that I have open two way communication between my mentor and myself but most importantly the benefit of having a mentor is the guidance I am given. After each meeting I reflect on what was discussed and reflect on what advice I was given and sometimes I go and follow the advice (like starting this blog to develop my writing skills) and sometimes I log it in my journal to ruminate for another day. The other side is that of the mentor which also benefits form the partnership in that they are forced to reflect on how they felt and the situations they faced as a graduate and turn that into guidance and not forgetting their problem solving abilities on varying situations.
I came upon the concept of a mentor through my place of employment which I took up straight away. The process is quiet formal whereby forms are filled out in regards to what we both expect to happen through this process and we also set up a kind of a “terms and conditions” which we both agree on such as “what is discussed is between the two of us and cannot be discussed else where” amongst other things. The guidelines run along the same sort of guidelines that ALIA set out in there Mentoring Program.
I have found it so far a positive and enriching experience and I would recommend, if you are given the opportunity as a new graduate, to take it up.
