A mentor or advisor is a trusted individual who provides guidance and support to help someone progress through an endeavor. A mentoring relationship is when one party benefits from the other's knowledge or experience. When discussing the act of mentoring, it is helpful to consider how one defines "mentor." Mentor as taught in this context refers to a life coach, executive, peer, or CEO who empowers and guides their protégé through this journey of self-discovery.
Some companies have identified the value in investing in mentors for their employees. This article discusses the importance of mentors and the companies that have embedded a formal mentoring program into their company's policies and practices.
Internationally, many organizations have focused on various ways of gaining experience as it relates to one's career. In order to achieve this professional development, some professionals have chosen to overcome cultural and language barriers by completing an internship abroad. The concept of an internship is not unique to our generation; in fact, Internships can be traced back centuries in ancient China as far back as 200 B.C., and then again in Italy during the Renaissance (14th-17th century) where it was referred to as a "stagiaire.” The history of the internship is believed to be linked to apprenticeship.
The Human Relations Movement in the United States during the mid-1900s introduced the idea of placing college student interns into supervised work environments. This movement had a direct impact on U.S. companies, which began to devise policies for hiring and training employees for the future. Eventually, other countries around the world started implementing internship programs within their organizations as well. It has been noted that in some cases, internally, an organization will set up internship programs with other companies they do business with as well as at specific universities that they sponsor or support financially or otherwise. Internships are believed to be highly beneficial in the advancement and development of a young professional. They provide an opportunity for the individual to gain experience, as well as exposure, that would not be afforded by other means. Internships allow some people to gain international experience or work for a company that is directly tied to their major or learning field of study.
Internships have also been identified as an important element in the education system. In some cases, students will go through an internship right after they graduate from college or university to acquire work experience before embarking on a career path.
The term mentor can be defined in many different ways depending on the age group one is referring to and/or who they are mentoring. There are certain factors that can help lead to a mentor-mentee relationship becoming more formalized.
The meaning of the word mentor is defined by type of relationship and type of situation one is looking to create, these aspects include:
An "employer-employee" mentor-mentee relationship typically involves an employee seeking specific skills or knowledge from an experienced professional, such as a supervisor, who has "been there and done that" in their field. This type of mentor usually has their own established success stories they can pass on to their mentee, which the latter would then want to emulate. The mentor is not just there for their own sake, but to help their mentee become successful in the future as well.
An "employer-internship" relationship involves an employer who is conducting an internship with a young person who wants to gain experience and knowledge in the field that they are learning and working in. Since young people today are seen as more independent and confident, these qualities can be seen in the way they want to work independently while also seeking out learning opportunities while on the job.
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