Getting to know your mentee involves dedicating time to learn more about them by asking questions and practicing active listening. Throughout this process you will find that each mentee brings different values, perspectives, experiences, and interests that may or may not align with your own. Effective communication requires being honest about what you can and cannot provide for a mentee. For example, a study of recently graduated African-American sociologists found that common mentee requests include psychosocial support (emotional and personal support), instrumental support (teaching advice and guidance through bureaucratic processes), and sponsorship (letters of recommendation, introductions to others, and access to travel money) (Dixson-Reeves, 2003). One person may not be well-positioned to fill all of these functions, however, it is important for a mentor to actively connect a mentee with other possible mentors to fill possible gaps. All types of mentoring contribute to mentee confidence and the achievement of career goals. Because women and graduate students from historically underrepresented groups tend to receive less instrumental and sponsorship-based mentoring, connecting mentees with a variety of support structures can contribute to their success (Curtin, Malley, & Stewart, 2016).  

An advisor can be a key mentor, however, it is wise to cultivate a variety of mentors, which may include other faculty, university administrators, and senior peers (Baker & Lattuca, 2010; Johnson & Huwe, 2003). When working on independent research, graduate students report that it is helpful to look outside of the department, through strategic networking with junior faculty, collaborations with scholars in the same area of research, or non-academic career leads (Baker & Pifer, 2011). A study of successful African-American graduate students found that having a diverse network was critical for persistence and future academic success (Taylor & Antony, 2000).

When giving constructive feedback to a mentee, it is important to avoid messages that convey a lack of confidence in their abilities such as, “You don’t have what it takes.” At the same time, completely withholding feedback is not constructive. Packard (2015, p. 102) suggests the following framing language:  “I am going to give you this feedback because I take you seriously” and “I have high standards, but I know you can meet them.” Sheridan resources on microaggressions and microaffirmations and stereotype threat also offer helpful tools to guide these conversations. It is also important to note that many mentoring relationships serve as counterspaces to the inequalities that people from underrepresented groups face in academia. If you are a mentor from a historically underrepresented group, you might find that students disproportionately seek your mentorship. In a recent blogpost, a faculty member highlights The Unseen Labor of Mentoring and offers guidance on self-care and how to professionally bring attention to the support you are providing to mentees.

Before beginning a mentoring relationship, it is helpful to identify the level of importance that having a same-identity mentor is for you. For example, research indicates that same-identity mentors may offer the best psychosocial support (Ortiz-Walters & Gilson, 2005), but many successful cross-race mentoring relationships are between those who agree on the same preference for how to deal with the question of race, i.e., whether to sublimate or engage the role of racial differences in the relationship (Thomas, 1993). If it is important for you to have a same-identity mentor and that opportunity is not available in your department, you might find support by connecting with faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and staff in affinity groups on campus.

In order to effectively guide mentees, mentors can reflect on what skills and strengths they are able to contribute to a mentoring relationship.

Recently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began encouraging grant recipients to assist postdocs and graduate students with career development by completing an individual development plan (IDP), a tool used to reflect on current experience, consider future options, and document progress. Brown’s Office for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies has a template that mentees and mentors can use to discuss short-term goals, long-term goals, and activities to reach those goals. Online tools, like the AAAS MyIDP and ImaginePhD, offer goal setting and online assessments connected to career possibilities for students in STEM and humanities and social sciences, respectively. In meetings, mentees can discuss these goals, indicate how they align with departmental and graduate school milestones, set timelines for meeting those goals, and discuss successful strategies that they have encountered.