Do you ever get the feeling where you just need a little bit of advice or an insight to help you deal with a situation, or carve out a path? But you can’t find the answer on Google or YouTube, and there isn’t anyone at work or at home who has the experience to help you? This is where mentoring comes into play.

I have been a mentor for three years for various arts organisations. It brings me joy, challenges, insight and a change in perspective. I’ve met some inspirational individuals who have re-ignited my interest and passion for marketing, as well as challenged me to think differently and outside of my comfort zone. I never realised how things that were obvious or simple to me, where groundbreaking for someone who is in the early stages of their career or had plateaued. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional career.

It took me some time to muster up the courage to think of myself as mentor material, let alone apply to be a mentor. I thought that a mentor had to be a CEO or a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient. Could I be a mentor, never having been a mentee myself? It was during the various lockdowns in 2019, where I felt that I had something to contribute. So many people were exploring new career avenues, building their experiences and skills, and needing support. Perhaps there was someone that I could help?

I found an organisation called I LIKE NETWORKING, which ran a mentoring programme for women in the creative industries. According to ILN, a ​‘study reported that only 54% of women have access to mentors. Another found that 63% of women have never had a formal mentor.’ Perhaps this was the right place for me to start. I had an informal interview with the founder, and was then paired with a mentee for a period of three months. I also received group mentor training and a guidebook. This was invaluable to me and put to rest many of the concerns I had about not being a good enough mentor. I now had a framework and structure to guide the sessions. The rest was down to me and my mentee.

My mentee and I would meet for 1 hour for five sessions during the three month period. I was initially nervous that I wouldn’t run the session well or be able to answer her questions. However, the sessions were wonderful, and I really felt that not only did I help develop her marketing knowledge, but also helped to develop her self-esteem, create career paths and develop within her current office environment. I felt that my general life and work experience was just as helpful as my marketing knowledge in guiding and supporting my mentee. 

For mentees, with mentoring, you get out what you put in. If you come to the sessions unprepared or you haven’t done the agreed homework, then the next session will not be as productive as it could have been. I focussed a lot on goal setting in the first session to understand what it was my mentee wanted to achieve, and then we talked in the sessions about how to achieve those goals and empower her to achieve them herself.

I didn’t need to be a fountain of endless knowledge, but I did need to be able to clear the path for her, simplify things, and set clear tasks to help her achieve her goals and feel like progress was being made. 

Every mentoring relationship I have had since my first experience has been totally unique and different, just like people! Since my first mentee, I have mentored another person at ILN, and also given a one-off session with a third person about a specific project she was tackling. I also took part in an online group workshop to talk about careers in the music sector along with other mentors. Beyond ILN, I have been a mentor for Somerset House and Creative Access, as well as in-house at HarrisonParrott Group. Some mentor relationships have focussed very much on marketing skills development or working through a specific project, whereas for others, the focus has been on career progression and deciding the next steps. 

All of my mentees have been of different ages, at various stages of their careers, and have come from different countries and backgrounds. Mentoring is for everyone, no matter what stage of life you are in. If you feel you have some experience to contribute, or you just want to help support someone with their career, then mentoring is an incredibly rewarding experience, which I highly recommend. 

Tips for becoming a mentor:

• Look for a programme which fits your schedule and time commitment 
• Find a programme topic which interests you e.g. a programme which focusses on creative arts, or music, or entrepreneurs etc
• You do not need to be a subject matter expert, but you must be able to actively listen and guide your mentee to make their own solutions
• Be committed to your mentee and don’t cancel your meetings
• Learn from your mentee and be open to new ideas and ways of thinking
• Prepare to be challenged

I’m looking forward to meeting my next mentee soon!