Why become a mentor?

Breaking into journalism can be very overwhelming. Having an industry insider can help a young person overcome some of the challenges they will face when breaking into the exciting world of journalism.

The advice and guidance given by you, based on your own experiences, will help young journalists address the challenges they face at the start of their career head on. You will become the family friend in the industry they never had. The one who will cheer them on over a cuppa when they’re feeling down.

Not yet convinced? We have gathered some further reasons on why you should become a mentor in this piece.

As a mentor you will…

#1 Build relationships outside of your usual circle:

Mentoring gives you the opportunity to expand your social circle and environment. It is completely normal to get comfortable in your own social bubble, but making room for new people to enter can help you  step out of your comfort zone easier than you usually would. Becoming a mentor, you will maybe speak with someone you otherwise would never have met. While a lot of the mentorship experience is about passing on your knowledge to the mentee, it also gives you the opportunity to ask questions about different things they have experience in – be that different cultures, coming from a different city, favourite foods, different technology, to name a few.

#2 Learn something completely new

While you are helping someone as a mentor, you might actually learn a thing or two yourself. Maybe your mentee can help you understand social media platforms you aren’t particularly active on, teach you something new about where they are from, or give you a new perspective on an old story.

It can even be more simple things: Maybe they’ll have a book they particularly enjoyed reading you haven’t heard of, visited a place in your city that you haven’t been to, or have a favourite dish that you always wanted to try – the list goes on. If you are open to learning new things, becoming a mentor could help you discover gems you otherwise might never have heard of!

#3 Solidify and expand on vital skills that can advance you in your career

In your routine as a mentor and throughout your mentees stay, you will use and expand on a set of important skills, including:

• Communication: You will be listening and answering their questions, speaking and giving advice on career questions, and analyse and problem solve scenarios your mentee might have encountered throughout their internship. All of this will help you solidify your communication skills!
• Rapport and relationship building: Finding common ground or, vice versa, acknowledging differences and empathising with someone and their experiences even if they differ from yours, are part of building rapport and a strong working relationship with your mentee.
• Confidence: Reflecting on your personal career journey to help your intern on theirs might remind you of your achievements and give you the boost in confidence you deserve.
• Leadership and management: You will be in charge of organising your time with your mentee, guiding sessions and overseeing the experience. Using leadership and management skills for these things can prove valuable for your personal growth as possessing such skills is often looked on favourably by many.

#4 Make yourself stand out from others in the field

Solidifying important skills often required of you in the media industry, can help you stand out from your co-workers and colleagues. Furthermore, having a proven track-record of these skills through your mentorship experience can help you showcase why you are the best candidate for a role you are applying for, or the promotion/ pay rise you are requesting. Aside from these skills, being a mentor generally shows that you are an expert in what you do, or – at the very least – confident enough to pass these skills on to others.

Even beyond a professional setting, being a mentor for someone is not something that every person can say they have done. You are likely to get some attention when having a catch up with friends or colleagues (and so you should!).

#5 Be the change you want to see (and help someone break into a highly competitive industry)

Okay, we did mention this one previously, but it is one of the most important reasons you should become a mentor. We know it sounds cheesy, but no matter where you are at in your career, you likely have found something that you would have liked to have known sooner. As a mentor, you can be the change you want to see. Hopefully, this change can then spill over into your newsrooms, reinvigorating our industry and better serving our audiences. Remember, you are helping people break into the industry who otherwise might have struggled or even given up. Ultimately, by being a mentor, you are making lasting change.