https://doi.org/10.36866/pn127.39

Eleanor Newton
Professional Development, Grants and Engagement Manager

The Society gives you access to a network of physiologists, and the new mentor directory can help you to identify a mentor to support your career growth. Mentoring can be a great sounding board for addressing challenges and opportunities in your professional life, such as testing out new ideas or strategies, career planning, developing motivation and self-confidence, and developing knowledge of the wider discipline and sector.

The Society particularly promotes a developmental style of mentoring and encourages members to initiate a discussion with a mentor who is outside of their immediate professional environment.

Gaining clarity over why you think you need a mentor is important to help navigate those initial conversations and to set goals. Initiating and maintaining a good mentoring relationship can be daunting at first but is a great opportunity to potentially gain a mentor for life.

Dr Miriam Hurley, Postdoctoral Researcher at The University of Leeds, UK, has previously been mentored by a Society member and gives advice for making a success of this unique relationship.

“Having a mentor is invaluable, whatever stage you are at within your career. I gained a mentor through The Society during my PhD and still know that I can reach out and contact my mentor now, even years later within my postdoc career.

First, be open. You have an opportunity to speak to someone within your field, who is further on in their career and has a wealth of expertise, so don’t hold back.

Be flexible. As you navigate this stage in your career, things will change around you. So, be flexible as to the topics you discuss and the opportunities that may arise. The mentor/mentee relationship is designed to evolve over time as you progress.

Take initiative as this mentoring is designed to challenge and be of benefit to you and your career. Ultimately you get out what you put in.”

Professor James Clark, Professor of Cardiovascular & Physiology Education at King’s College London, UK, has benefited as both mentor and mentee throughout his career and is now a mentor for The Society.

“I have been in the fortunate position to have worked with some inspirational people with whom I have been able to formally discuss my career plans as well as looking deeply into some important strategic choices.

I would advise mentees to choose their mentor carefully and bear in mind that it is quite likely that your first mentor will not be a match made in heaven. There are many different career paths, especially through the academic track, and it is important that your mentor really “gets” your approach to your work rather than simply being there to try and impose their view of the world. My first mentor was not working for me at all. They were full of great career advice and was a good listener but their idea of what makes a successful career did not align to mine.

Be honest with your mentor. To get the best out of mentorship you need to put all your cards on the table, not just those you would be prepared to share with senior management. These conversations are essential to be able to reflect on how things are going.

And finally, be prepared to think differently. It’s good to have a plan; however, it’s very important that you are flexible and take on board discussions you have with your mentor. I have had many ‘have you tried…’ conversations, some of which have led me nowhere, but others have made a big difference. Looking back, if I had ‘stuck to my guns’ on many aspects of my career I would be in a very different place right now!”

As a member, you can log in to the Member Directory and search through the list of mentors who are open to be contacted. For more information on how to find a mentor, or how to sign up to be a mentor, please visit our website page https://www.physoc.org/professional-development/mentoring/