Six reasons why you should become a mentor in 2016

A simple, yet powerful idea: established Canadian professionals support newcomers reconnect with their careers in Canada. That is what mentoring’s all about!
While mentoring is a proven strategy – over 75% of all mentees have found employment in their field within the first year of completion of the program – we are often asked the question, “Why should I become a mentor?”

Below are six reasons from six mentors with The Mentoring Partnership (TMP), why you should resolve to mentor a skilled newcomer in 2016.

1. Help newcomers achieve their goals
   As a mentor, you work directly with a skilled newcomer, helping them understand the Canadian workplace culture and supporting their job-search activities. As Zeshan Sagir, mentor from CIBC said, “I steer my mentees in the right direction, caution them against any pitfalls and genuinely support them in achieving their goals!”
2. Develop your skills and advance in your career
   Helping others is great, but mentoring helps you too. Mentors with The Mentoring Partnership report that they improve their leadership and communication skills by participating in the program. Intesar Khan, mentor from Scotiabank, states it best, “I have found that the mentoring relationship often benefits not only the mentee but also the mentor.”
3. Build your professional network
   Networking is a really important aspect of professional development (learn why). Mentoring is a great way to connect with people and build long-lasting professional relationships. “Being a mentor gives me an opportunity to make more friends,” says Yang Lin, mentor from City of Toronto.
4. Volunteer and give back to your community
   Mentoring is a great way to volunteer your time and help make a difference in a newcomer and their families’ lives. Dan Mitta, mentor from the Ontario Public Service (OPS), certainly thinks so, “I was searching for a gratifying volunteer opportunity that made the best use of my knowledge and experiences. Mentoring foreign trained professionals turned out to be that opportunity.”
5. Embark on a new, exciting journey
   “Being a mentor never gets stale; it’s always interesting. I hear a variety of experience from my mentees. Everyone has their own unique story. I like to hear all these stories,” stated by mentor Warren Webb. We’ll just leave it at that!
6. Create your own legacy and leave behind a lasting impact
   To sum up, you can make a definite impact on someone’s life through mentoring. “By becoming a mentor, you create a legacy that has a lasting impact on your mentee and the profession. Not only will you gain the satisfaction of helping to develop future talent, the knowledge you foster in your mentee can inspire new ideas for generations to come.” Great words from Akhil Shah, mentor from Medtronic of Canada.

Become a mentor today!