The Benefits of Mentoring

3 minute read

Mentoring schemes are an incredibly useful tool for personal development at work. There are obvious benefits of being mentored and learning from someone with more experience. But did you know that there are just as many advantages to being a mentor as there are to being a mentee? Here are all the many benefits of mentoring.

Almost anyone can be a mentor

Don’t think you have enough experience to be a mentor? Think again! You don’t have to be in a leadership position—all you need is a couple of years’ experience in your industry and the willingness to impart your knowledge to others. Mentorship schemes are often under-subscribed for mentors, as people don’t consider the benefits of mentoring to the mentor or don’t think they’re qualified to be one. But whichever side of the partnership you’re on, there’s much to gain from being involved in mentoring.

Career Progression

For mentees:

They say you should learn from your mistakes, but it’s even better if you can learn from someone else’s! As a mentee, you have a unique opportunity to benefit from the expert advice and experience of someone more senior. They can act as a sounding board for your work problems or to bounce ideas around. You have someone to advocate for you, to help you focus your goals and support you to achieve them (and to be accountable to, so you actually get on with it!). This will help to progress your career in many different ways.

For mentors:

Being a role model and supporting the development of less experienced team members proves your commitment to your team, charity and industry. Through this you can gain more recognition in your field and the potential for promotion.

Two women standing over a screen discussing the benefits of mentoring

Development of skills

For mentees:

Your mentor can help you assess your strengths and weakness and identify any skill gaps. You can then either learn from them or make use of their experience to find other means of upskilling. They may be able to suggest the best training courses for you to take or new areas of focus in your specialism for you to research.

For mentors:

Teaching others is a great way to learn yourself, and mentors have the opportunity to develop and hone all kinds of soft skills, such as communication, active listening, constructive feedback and empathy. In fact, if you’re in that ‘in between’ stage of your career—no longer a junior and not yet a manager—becoming a mentor can help you develop those all-important leadership, development and coaching skills.

Job satisfaction

For mentees:

Being mentored can bring a whole swath of benefits in the area of job satisfaction. You’re likely to be more productive at work, have greater visibility and recognition, as well as improved wellbeing and work/life balance. This will all have a positive effect on your career prospects. So, in short— mentoring can make you happier at work.

For mentors:

Mentoring can also lead to increased job satisfaction. It brings a new challenge to your role and it can be very satisfying to watch your mentee achieve their goals and know you’ve played a part in their success. And if others have helped your career along the way then you also get all the warm, fuzzy feelings of knowing you’re doing the same—even more so if you volunteer for a mentoring scheme outside of your organisation.

Two men in an office sitting at a table. One has a laptop in front of him

Increased confidence

For mentees:

If you’re one of the 79% of women or 62% of men who lack confidence at work, then mentoring can be a great way to tackle this. Your mentor’s validation, and their support to set and achieve realistic goals, can be a huge confidence boost.

For mentors:

Similarly, sharing your knowledge and experience with others, and then seeing them succeed, can help to reaffirm your own abilities. This can increase your self-awareness and confidence.

Expansion of network

For mentees:

If your mentor has been around in the sector or specialism for longer than you, then chances are that they have more contacts, and will be able to introduce you to some relevant and useful people. This is especially helpful if networking is something you struggle with, or if you’re a remote or hybrid worker. If you’re part of a cross-organisational mentoring scheme, learning how things work in different charities can open your mind and expand your horizons.

For mentors:

Meeting new people and hearing things from different perspectives is also very valuable for mentors. Getting insight into other organisations and projects can help keep your industry knowledge sharp.

Find a career with meaning

Mentoring is useful for everyone

If your charity isn’t involved in a mentoring scheme, then don’t forget to point out the many benefits it can have for them too—including increased employee productivity, engagement and satisfaction, higher retention rates and more innovation.

Not sure where to find a mentor or mentee? Try putting a call out on CharityConnect, or join one of their networking events by specialism to meet likeminded peers.

The benefits of mentoring are plentiful. If you want to develop, challenge yourself and increase your confidence, consider signing up for either side of a mentoring scheme. It could even be the stepping stone you need to that next rung on the career ladder.

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Karen Harlow

Karen Harlow is Senior Content Manager at CharityJob.

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