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
More stories from the Graduate Insider
Unstoppable: Lessons in Adaptability from Anthony Robles
Join us on October 29 for the Elizabeth A. Wentz Distinguished Lecture Series.
How graduate students can harness AI in the job search
Searching for a job as a graduate student is both exciting and overwhelming. A recent Grad15 session on using AI in the job search (led by Evan Walsh, a career advisor at Harvard Medical School) offered practical strategies to help students navigate this process with greater confidence and efficiency. Here are the key takeaways that every graduate student should know.
Reimagining the Smart City: Luke Boyle’s Mellon/ACLS Fellowship research elevates South African voices
Luke Boyle is ASU’s first doctoral student to be selected for the distinguished Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship Program.