Last week in Part I, we offered some ideas for mentees in order to maximize their mentoring relationships. This week, we are going to focus on mentors. Mentors may find it difficult to find time and energy to manage and train someone, all while trying to satisfy their own work demands. In addition, teaching and training someone is a skill that must be practiced. If you are new at it, it can cause stress for all parties involved. Wondering how you can improve upon your own mentoring skills? Here are some ideas for mentors: Be mindful in selecting your mentee. The mentoring relationship, if conducted with care, can be an…
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PART I: Managing Mentoring Relationships – Tips for Mentees
Perhaps you are a summer intern or you are managing a summer intern? Regardless of your role, managing the mentor-mentee relationship can be a difficult task. Attempting to creating a good personality fit and work style with your mentor, and effectively offering and using feedback, all while managing ever-present demands in the workplace can prove to be a tough and confusing experience for both mentors and mentees. Wondering how you can better choose and create a positive working relationship with your mentor or mentee? Here are some ideas for mentees: Take control of your career path, even when under the wing of a mentor. Even when you’ve found a mentor and…
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Two Part Series: Part 2 – Getting the Most Out of Mentoring Relationships
In the first part of this series, we talked about how to identify a good mentor. Now that you have done so, how do you cultivate and maintain that relationship? Identifying a mentor is not an easy task; making it work can be even more challenging. In this blog, we will give you some tips to help foster and maintain your mentoring relationships. Take ownership of your career Take charge; remember you are the one in control! Think about your career goals in the short-term and long-term. Communicate these goals to your mentors, so they can understand your interests and better guide you on which steps to follow or opportunities…
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Good Mentoring Guidelines
What makes a good mentor? That is a question we’ve been pondering here in the OITE. We see trainees questioning how to find the perfect research mentor, so we created a “how-to” guide to finding a mentor. Check it out here: https://www.training.nih.gov/mentoring_guidelines The goal behind the document is to help those of you transitioning in your scientific career to make good decisions when choosing a new boss. Sample questions to ask the PI and the research group are included to help you along the way. An added bonus: Those of you who will be mentors (either for a summer intern, postbac, or grad student, or as you move into a…
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Make the Most of Your Mentoring Relationships
When I think about the mentors I’ve had over the course of my professional life, I feel very fortunate. Each has been unique, injecting his or her thoughts, experiences, and personal style into our mentoring relationship. As I reflect on time spent talking with, listening to, or emailing with each of my mentors, it seems like the role of mentor came quite naturally to them, an effortless act that engendered feelings of respect and gratitude on my part. So what’s the secret? How can we take full advantage of the mentoring relationships we are currently in, either as mentor or trainee? I have culled information from a variety of sources…
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Postdoc Appreciation Week
Post written by guest blogger Charlesice Hawkins, Detailee within OITE. The National Postdoc Association (NPA) reports that there were approximately 79,000 postdoctoral fellows actively involved in research in the United States in 2017. Officially, a postdoctoral position is defined as “a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path.” Whether they are mentoring more junior trainees or working on publishing papers and developing their own line of research, postdocs play a vital role in the success of science and scientists across the country. It is also important to recognize that in addition to…
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How to Talk to Your PI
On the OITE Career Blog, we often write about mentoring relationships; after all, they are often vital to your success in the lab and beyond. We have written tips for mentees on managing their mentoring relationships and we have discussed how to talk about your career with your PI. Often, we are focusing on the high-level components of your mentoring relationship with your PI. Sometimes though it is important to focus on small, seemingly simplistic, tips which can help you have better conversations with your mentor. In Nature’s Career Column, Veuthey and Thompson put forth a basic suggestion in their article, “Why You Need an Agenda for Meetings with Your…
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Core Competencies & Blog Resources
There are four groups of skills that all trainees need to have to help ensure success in their careers. These skills are not only beneficial for success if your current role, but are vital skills to continue to develop in order to excel in future career paths. Below are descriptions of these skills sets and a listing of blog posts on each topic. Check out the posts to delve a bit further into each subject area. Core competencies include: COMMUNICATION We communicate with people everyday: writing papers, sending emails, giving presentations, or discussing ideas in meetings. In almost every job, the ability to share thoughts and ideas clearly with others is a…
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Managing Summer Interns – Tips for Mentors
Last week, we started to welcome summer interns to the NIH campus and shared some resources which might be of interest specifically for them. This week, we are focusing on tips for mentors. So, if you will be mentoring an intern this summer, be sure to read on! Mentors may find it difficult to find time and energy to manage and train someone, all while trying to satisfy their own work demands. In addition, teaching and training someone is a skill that must be practiced. If you are new at it, it can cause stress for all parties involved. Wondering how you can improve upon your own mentoring skills? Here are some…
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Welcome 2018 Summer Interns: OITE Blogs of Interest
The Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) of the NIH extends a warm welcome to the Summer 2018 interns. Over the next few months, you will engage in many unique opportunities in biomedical research that will encourage you to consider pursuing careers and further graduate study in the field. As you are settling in to your lab and meeting your PIs and fellow trainees, we want to make sure that you are aware of a variety of helpful blog posts that will help you to maximize your summer experience. Getting oriented to a new lab and role as a researcher is both exciting and somewhat challenging for summer interns. …