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