“For those who are looking for a mentor, look at how successful the academic ‘off-springs’ of that potential mentor are. Have they moved on to good faculty positions or jobs in the industry? This indicates how supportive that mentor is of his or her mentees in their career development. The same rule of thumb applies to other industries too, though the information you seek make be harder to obtain.”

“If you don’t take the first step, nothing will happen. You never know when you might be pleasantly surprised. Emailing is also a good start. If your potential mentor is interested, find an opportunity to meet up and have a chat over coffee. Your interaction during this session should help you to gauge if this potential mentor is sincere in guiding you.”

“A good mentor genuinely cares about sharing his or her knowledge and experience, and wants to help you to grow. It’s difficult to describe exactly what a good mentor is as definitions may vary from one individual to the next, but you will know it when you meet one. Personally, my definition of a good mentor is one who’s a great listener, and who has a true interest in their mentee’s well-being, not theirs.”

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