Mentoring 101: How to make the best of your mentoring experience

By Jose Sanchez Quiroz

LANL Foundation Intern Working with Coalition for WBL

Internships are a great way to get students started in their professional careers. It allows them the opportunity to obtain professional experience, expand their social capital and provides participants with motivation and a clear vision of them being a professional. These types of programs can also benefit employers, as it creates a network of potential talent for your organization, access to fresh and modern ideas and the ability to expand your brand and grow a stronger reputation.

When creating an internship program, it is important to recognize and entrust current employees to be the supervisors and mentors for these interns. As mentorloop explains “a mentor is an experienced individual who provides guidance, support, and instruction to another person”. These employees are going to be the ones guiding interns into what is happening inside the jobs/company, collaborating with interns to lead them through their tasks and help them develop their skills, show them the inner workings of a business/organization, corporate culture, introducing them to coworkers and help them gain social capital. Think of it as the older brother or sister of an intern.

Initially, this process can sound overwhelming as you are being entrusted with the responsibility of having an intern, therefore here are some best practices to help you be a successful mentor

1. Introduce them to the organization and team members.

First impressions are critically important. Therefore, it is crucial to make the intern feel comfortable on their first day. For many of them, it is their first time working in a professional setting. Give them a tour of the building, introduce them to team members, and ask them how they are feeling.

1. Make yourself available and seen.

Even if the mentor and intern often work together, small things such as leaving your office door open give a sense of accessibility to your intern. Let them know that “any question is not a stupid question”. Oftentimes, interns do not ask for clarification out of the fear of not wanting to bother their supervisor and not wanting to feel unprepared. Yet communication is a vital component of a successful mentor, therefore it is important for them to be clear on their tasks and duties. Lastly, let them know that you are there for them. One can get caught up on their work and forget that they have an intern, thus make sure to make time to check up on them.

1. Be engaging. 

Ask them questions/ things they have been learning through their internship. With this, it would keep them attentive and focused on their work and projects. It is also good practice to converse with them using professional language and terminology. Like learning a new language, this would put in practice their vocabulary and would encourage them to learn the terminology used in the organization, making communication easier for both you and the intern. Lastly, converse with them about your job. What are the assignments you are working on? Best practices for your job, industry practices, etc. With this type of conversation, it makes the intern feel comfortable and would give them the confidence to navigate through your organization.  

4. Challenge them.

Being in an internship/mentorship program is to obtain real work experience and test drive different careers. Don’t give them work that you have been putting off, but instead give them work that challenges them and puts their knowledge and skills into practice. Make sure to craft a project before their first day, as this will alleviate the stress of not knowing what to do with them. Lay out the type of work you do, the meaning of it. Explain the reason for the project they are being assigned, how relevant it is to their knowledge and the company.

With these, it would give the intern clear expectations and tasks to do, and consequently would motivate and encourage them to reach out and ask questions.

5. Be amicable

Work can be stressful, and stress can get the best of us. Hence, it is important to simply remember basic decency with people, especially with interns. Whenever talking to them, practice patience. Try to put yourself in their shoes as they are new to the professional world. Remember that you were once in their position. This is important to remember because your actions and words can make a huge impact on the experience of an intern inside of a company and can alter the relationship being made with them. Therefore, don’t let the job get the best of you, try to remain calm and professional.

Internships are a great way for students to obtain professional experience, they expose interns to the inner working of a company and organization, and real-world problems. At the same time, internships programs carry many benefits for the host. As it creates trust in your company, gives you direct access to modern ideas, and creates a network of potential talent. As you read this article keep in mind these types to make the best out of your mentorship experience for you and your student intern.