By Charlene Holmes

Mentorship – The Experience of a Lifetime

Mentorship can be a positive and influential experience. Quite simply, mentoring is a relationship between two people. The mentor can act as a friend, teacher, assistant, information source, guide and in some cases, expert. Such relationships are important because they steer people in the right direction and assist them in making positive choices in the marriage of work and life.

There are two types of mentor relationships. Formal ones can be established within the workplace or community agency and informal ones develop when two people establish a relationship of mutual respect. Effective mentors are caring, selfless, people-oriented individuals who want to see another person grow and succeed. The relationship usually diminishes once a person has gained an expected level of knowledge or expertise. Mentor relationships can even lead to solid, long-term friendships. In other words, the relationship benefits both parities.

Currently acting as a formal mentor and seeking out informal mentors, I can attest to the effectiveness of this process. Mentoring is hard work and takes sincere commitment. As a mentor, you ideally need to be prepared to answer difficult questions and face personal and/or professional situations together. One also needs to think before they speak or act. Essentially, you have dedicated a period of time to positively influence the life of another. This will be your reward.

The person being mentored can come in many forms; a child, student, co-worker, peer, relative and/or friend. You are never too young or too old to learn from others. Did you know that a good mentor can keep a person in the academic system, help them gain confidence, recognize their abilities and steer them away from ‘trouble’? A mentor provides another with the wisdom and tools needed for life’s challenges. If we think back, most of us have somebody who changed the course of our lives because they took the time to do so.

Why is mentoring so important? Because it can make the workplace more effective, build teams and ensure that our community remains productive. Mentoring helps children grow-up to become good citizens and allows adults to realize their ambitions. If you ever have an opportunity to be in a mentor relationship, I encourage you to participate. It can be a ‘win/win’ situation that has lasting results.

In the words of one of my mentors, it is a ‘gift’.

Charlene Holmes

Charlene has a background in Human Resources and Marketing with a B.A., in History, Trent University; Human Resources Management Diploma (C.H.R.M.), Durham College; and Career & Work Counsellor Diploma, Sir Sandford Fleming College. She is currently working at the Career Development Centre of Georgian College, Orillia, ON. Charlene is also an Opinion Page Writer for The Barrie Examiner newspaper. She has benefited from being mentored – acted as a mentor on volunteer and formal basis, and knows the benefits through personal experience.