[gecko]

Have any? Been a mentor? How did you meet your mentor or protege? Does it go beyond mutual interests, do you give or take moral/life advice - is this the natural progression of a mentor-protege relationship?

Feel free to answer any and every question at your discretion.
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[Warrior]

In my worklife I had a mentor for about two weeks. We had a big clash of personalities and my boss ended up talking about things I thought were confidential during a staff meeting. It didn't work out at all.

I have had mentors in other areas of my life that worked out very well, though.

[Silence]

I had a mentor in the military. He was the epitome of a leader, was polite and gracious to everybody while being one of the strongest and most confident men I've ever known. I still find myself reflecting on his advice and his actions when I encounter an unfamiliar event, over ten years later.

[Monte314]

I had/have a mentor, and have been a mentor. Pay it forward!

[Bluesea]

I have had a mentor as part of a professional training process. Was good. I like having this role in my life. I also enjoy giving support to others in this way. Supervision is also a mentoring type role and I enjoy this. It is like sourcing another person for their wisdom and experience and they have a benevolent attitude due to the mentoring relationship. I think it is a positive human connection that benefits people.

[brdmadgrl82]

Once I decided I wanted to return to school as a post-bac so that I can apply to med school by pure chance I met a physician who became a mentor and now a friend. Whenever I do not feel confident she is the one to help me find that confidence again...funny thing is we are so much alike (the way we think and she also went to med school later in life). She does give me insight about things that are not commonly discussed outside of medicine, and has really gone out of her way to help me. I feel very lucky I have someone who understands and can walk me through the process...it's nice to have someone to talk to when for example an exam doesn't go as well as planned. She is genuinely interested in being a friend too...

[Syntax]

I could really use one.

[Geminii]

I've been assigned to be an on-call mentor to a small group at work. It was OK.

In another job, I was supposed to have a mentor but all his time was taken up correcting the mistakes made by the people who assigned him to me. I think we actually spoke maybe three times in a year.

[ZincLysine]

When I was 18, I mentored a 12 year old kid for a year. Like a big brother. However, I don't think he took the program seriously. Funny thing is, I would have wanted the reverse growing up.

My dream did come true slightly later.

During Oct 2007 - Oct 2008 (while I was 20/21), I was paired with a mentor at a global management consultancy firm. He had attended my university a decade earlier and worked in an investment bank for a short period too.

It was a very useful and rewarding experience. It also happened during a time period when I became seriously unwell and had to suspend the second half of my final year at college. He checked in and spoke to me during that time. We regularly spoke, via e-mail, phone and in person. I visited his offices, was able to ask about work he was doing, got to shadow him at times. I learnt a lot. We are still in contact today and he offers career advice, especially at the moment as I am now a graduate searching for work in the bad UK economy. Tbh, in terms of work and career advice, he has been more useful to me than my older siblings who work. For that I am very grateful. I think his experience of Up or Out and continuos personal development in the consultancy enviroment was one reason he was better at coaching. Our friendship within the scheme was forcebly professional. It has pretty much remained that way since.

My best friend did the same mentor scheme with me. He was paired with someone from an Investment Bank, and spoke to him twice in the whole 12 month period and their relationship has not continued post program. It is not for lack of effort on his part. So it does matter who your mentor is.

Of course you have to work hard back!

Despite having had such great guidance, still hasn't helped me get my first job tho!
Surprisingly, the consultancy firm where he worked, who I'd also done other training schemes rejected me at the application stage. I was really gutted about that, especially since I'd been in their offices and seen the work they did. It genuinely interested me.

[Snoozerbear]

Never had a mentor. But I have mixed feelings about it. It would be nice to receive some guidance in life for the sake of avoiding wastefulness in time and energy, but its also nice to go the long route and carve your own way (if circumstances permits).

[Zsych]

I've met one person that I would've liked to have as a mentor.
I've tried helping some people... but the people who most need help are least willing to accept it.

One of my proteges turned out pretty well though.. well maybe more than one, back when I was in college, and they were my juniors or I was working as a TA and they were in those classes. Strange being worshiped by people - I don't like it.