Traits of a good mentor

1. Accessibility: An open door and an approachable attitude.
   
   
2. Empathy: Personal insight into what the trainee is experiencing.
   
   
3. Open-mindedness: Respect for each trainee’s individuality and for working styles and career goals different from your own.
   
   
4. Consistency: Acting on your stated principles on a regular basis.
   
   
5. Patience: Awareness that people make mistakes and that each person matures at his or her own rate.
   
   
6. Honesty: Ability to communicate the hard truths about the world “out there” and about the trainee’s chances.
   
   
7. Savvy: Attention to the pragmatic aspects of career development.

Source: Making the Right Moves: A practical guide to scientific management for postdocs and new faculty, Burroughs Wellcome Fund and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 2006