About the author
I have known LB since my school days. She lived in the apartment opposite to ours and she and I were the only almost-grown-ups in the gully cricket team of younger siblings and kindergarteners. .
What is remarkable about her is how she emerged strong under extraordinary circumstances and what she made out of the life given to her. She is a classic example of the sayings ‘tough times don’t last, tough people do’ . I am so so proud of her! This is her story on mentorship.
I am an academic researcher with no experience in the corporate world and looking to transition into that industry. At this point, I am learning the importance of seeking mentors and networking as the key for professional sustainability.
You cannot wait for a mentor to find you
On the personal front, our parents are our first mentors. They come into our life, they guide and teach us what they know best, all without even opening our mouth. But it is different when it comes to professional life. What I learnt hard and late is that we cannot wait for a mentor to come and choose us. Very rarely does it happen that somebody is interested and invested in your success without you showing the thirst.
Being an introvert, I find it hard to interact with someone who I admire and aspire to be like. This hindered me from actively seeking out help and guidance from the people I admire at work. But this is something I am actively working on to improve, because I know from the past, how guidance at the right time has helped me break my barriers.
Friends can be our best mentors
I am very lucky to have few good friends whom guide me and help me my problems in a different light. They always believe in my abilities irrespective of the challenges. One such friend is a classmate in Masters who was also a colleague during PhD. He is very ambitious, hard-working, sets high-goals and works smartly to achieve them.
Having a supportive group of friends is very advantageous because
- Friends know us both personally and professionally
- They help us without expectations
- We can watch them closely
- Its not hard to maintain the relationship
I am amazed at the way my friend simplifies the problems for me. I could easily clear the PhD interview for a prestigious institute because of the way he simplified things for me in just no time. I also took his help during my course work when I was struggling with programming. My first exam was a disaster. I literally cried after the exam. Then my friend tutored me for few days before the final exam. No wonder I was one of the only three to score an S grade (91-100) in the class.
I learned from him that the toughest problems can be solved simply by breaking them into smaller logical bits.
I am proud that he is now a faculty in a top ranked IIT. It is so inspiring to see his success and achievements.
My stint as a mentor
As a Lecturer
I would like to share my experience as a mentor for College Grads.
When I mentor, I want to make sure the students enjoy the process of learning. The key quality of a teacher is to ignite curiosity which I learned from my teachers. My interest for Physics started when I was in my Inter College. I was not an outstanding student in the class until then. But special lectures by my College Principal were so excellent that I loved every concept he explained. He used to explain in such simplified terms that I could easily imagine the problem and instantly give the answers. It was a moment of pride when all eyes in the class turned to me and later when they come to me for explanations. This is where I got the taste of success. This helped me in scoring cent per cent marks in the subject.
- The key is to ignite curiosity to learn and excel
- A mentor has to make the overall process of learning enjoyable
- Give them the taste of success so that they will never want a lose it again.
Such experience helped me when I became a lecturer.
To say it in short, imagine a class filled with below average students who had no interest in Physics or in scoring high. At the end of the year of my teaching, each one from the class passed in First class and one of the students scored 100/100 in B.Sc Physics whose picture was in the College advertisement during the next admissions. It was a priceless feeling, for him and me.
Mentoring helps you learn from your mentees
Recently, I have been communicating with a junior high School student in California, who is a son of my husband’s colleague. This little guy has a huge interest in Physics and his mom was looking for someone with expertise in Physical Sciences to guide her son. His questions were so deep into the subject that I have to read and prepare to satisfy this thirst for knowledge.
- Mentoring helps us in learning along with mentees.
- Mentors can help in shaping our understanding and to resolve the misconceptions
When we read so much information available online, no matter even if it is a science article from a reputed journal, it is very important to read the paper critically and analyse the real-time scenarios and challenges before drawing any conclusions. So it is important to talk to an expert and seek their guidance or opinion while they plan for their future endeavours. Obviously, the earlier they resolve their misconceptions, the more worth it is.
Internet – The ubiquitous mentor
These days the very meaning of mentoring is redefined! Social media and the internet is a powerful medium to seek knowledge and guidance. Online courses and communities that help professional growth, job search strategies, healthy lifestyle, etc exist in abundance.
For instance, for the first time, I came across an association for PhDs in my Facebook called Cheeky Scientist Association (CSA). After I joined CSA, I learned my value as a PhD. I found answer as to why I was not getting any response from recruiters. I am now learning the strategies to transition myself into the corporate industry and the importance of networking and informational interviews. I also learned about the different career opportunities that a PhD can have apart from research. Immigrant visa or Green Card for PhDs without a sponsorship is another important aspect that I learned solely from browsing.
Lastly, needless to say that my husband is my best mentor. He is the first person I reach for advice. We both are from different professional backgrounds. Indeed it is an asset for us. It helps us in carrying out diverse discussions and allows us to think out of the box when addressing an issue.
Honest opinion
It is always good to approach and learn from mentors. However, it is on us to decide what is best for us. Believe in yourself and have the courage to take the path that gives you confidence. Be it personal or professional. This is the only key to SUCCESS.
Thank you for reading and I wish this helps those who are travelling in a similar boat!
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