Research careers – why mentorship matters – Cancer Research UK

The same statement arose from a panel at a current CRUK careers occasion for postdocs, the place audio system from various most cancers research-related careers waxed lyrical in regards to the enhance mentors have given them at numerous levels of their skilled (and typically private) journeys. Within the Q&A session after this panel, an attendee raised her hand and requested: “However, how do you go about discovering a mentor?”

A really pertinent query, I believed.

I used to be in academia as a PhD scholar, postdoc, and mission supervisor for a complete of 17 years. I by no means had a mentor. Positive, I used to be lucky to have PhD and postdoc supervisors who had been supportive, encouraging, and galvanizing, however I’ve since come to know {that a} supervisor just isn’t a mentor.

Suppose mentor, not supervisor

A mentor is somebody who makes use of their very own expertise to help the private growth of a mentee and may undertake all kinds of roles, from performing as a sounding board and role-model to being a essential buddy. They’re completely positioned to recognise your private strengths and assist you to use them to grow to be profitable – no matter which means for you.

A mentoring relationship needs to be an area for reflection and exploration the place the mentee determines the main focus of conversations primarily based on their targets. Importantly, a mentor needs to be somebody who supplies an unbiased exterior view. That is why your supervisor, whereas chargeable for having private growth conversations with you as a part of their function as your supervisor, shouldn’t be your mentor. A mentor could be somebody who works in your area, however cross-sector mentoring additionally has many advantages. Bringing an out of doors perspective to your profession can actually assist develop broader skillsets.

CRUK’s Women of Influence mentorship programme is a case-in-point right here. The scheme pairs tutorial researchers with main businesswomen working throughout a various vary of sectors as mentors. I’ve seen firsthand how an out of doors perspective offered by mentors on this programme helps researchers to reinforce their self-confidence, management, and decision-making abilities.