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Social Media-based Career Mentoring- The Do’s and Dont’s

April 17, 2017

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Gurukool (derived from ancient Indian language Sanskrit) is an experimental platform which drew inspiration from the PhD Career Support Group (CSG) based on social media networking where people get connected with those who have already moved to either academic position or in industry, based on “pay-it-forward” principle. A group of PhDs from the industry and academia came together to form a mentor group and decided to spend a couple of hours educating the selected mentees every week, who are planning their next step to post-PhD careers. It’s a mentor-mentee program which runs almost virtually using social media platform and skills. With growing number of social media-based career development platforms all geared to help PhDs, we thought that there is a need to create an awareness on how such platforms can be maximally utilized to get an upstart with one’s career.

With increased interest and participation this group has grown in size. The mentors had been consistently backing and training the mentees for their upcoming job applications and interviews. As admins, we, therefore, decided to list out our learning from these interactions and help pave the way for making for making the mentees more professional in their mannerisms while seeking crowd-sourced mentoring at Gurukool and CSG.

General Etiquettes and Good Practices

Acknowledge receipt: Be prompt in replying to emails. Even if the communication does not explicitly ask for a reply, just write a line acknowledging that you received the email and are thankful/ working on the subject. This lets the sender know that you are cognizant of the tasks that need to be undertaken in future.
Respect time and come prepared: Especially with respect to Gurukool, but also in most other interactions, if you are seeking help (mentorial or otherwise), remember that the other person has especially taken time out to help you. So come prepared with your questions/problems/queries so you can jump straight on to facts and derive the maximum benefit from your meeting.
Credit where it is due: Appreciate and acknowledge people appropriately, no matter how small the way in which they helped you. Especially after the end of a mentoring session, make sure you write to your mentor and let them know personally what the results were (could be positive or not so positive) and that you are thankful.
Social Media friend requests: Never send Facebook friend requests unless you actually personally know the person. Request them on LinkedIn instead.
Think before you write: When composing emails, double check what message your email is actually conveying. It is wise to keep in mind that electronic mode of communication (emails, texts, chats) often fail to communicate emotions correctly. It is wise to take time composing a message rather than sending one that conveys the wrong message.
Native English Speakers: Accept the fact that a lot of us need help with the English language. Ask for help from fellow colleagues/ native English speakers. Being shameless in asking help in the beginning, will help you be smart later on.
Accept Differences: Learn how to deal with angry/annoying emails/communications, tactfully. We no longer live in a world where negative emotions are taken well. It is in your best interest to not lose your cool and save the day with a thoughtful and reasonable attitude.

Specifically for the Gurukool mentees:

Keep realistic expectations, evaluate yourself first.
Remember that you own your development, you mentor doesn’t. It’s up to you to identify objectives as well as keep the relationship focused and moving forward.
Be prepared to ask for specific advice on your skill set, ideas, plans and goals. The more specific you are, the easier it will be for your mentor to respond.
Be complete, yet succinct, in your comments and explanations.
Make it easy for your mentor to give you honest, specific feedback. Ask for it early in your relationship.
If you get some corrective feedback, don’t defend yourself. Thank your mentor for being honest with you. Then ask, “What specifically don’t you like about ___?”
Be considerate of the mentor’s schedule. Respect the mentor’s time and respond to emails promptly.
The mentoring community is not meant to serve as a recruitment device or job placement program. Do not ask for a job. You may ask your mentor for a letter of recommendation if you’ve spent ample time together and you feel comfortable.

Make a good Impression:

Introduce yourself: Take some time to introduce yourself. Let your mentor know not just your professional abilities/ qualifications, but a few highlights of your personality (both positive and negative). This could help them guide you through tricky interview questions/ scenario.
Do research: Before continuing contact with your mentor, gather information on your mentor and his/her organization. Knowledge about your mentor’s area of specialty or organization will help you prepare more intelligent and productive questions.
Ask questions: This is your opportunity to learn as much as you can from your mentor. Be prepared with a series of open-ended questions that will help stimulate your discussion and enable you to learn as much as you can about your mentor’s profession or industry.
Be enthusiastic and respectful! Remember, your mentor has volunteered her/her time to talk with you.
Leave a lasting impression: At the conclusion of any conversations, be sure to thank your mentor. Follow up any significant meeting or conversation with a thank you note.

References:

Featured image: Pixabay

About the author:

Anshu Malhotra is postdoctoral fellow at Emory University and she is actively involved in co-ordinating the activities in CSG’s flagship mentor-mentee program (Gurukool). She is actively involved in bench-based research in pediatric oncology and is strongly interested in developing skills in data science. In her spare time, she dabbles into artwork of 3D murals.