Mentorship
Having a variety of mentors in whatever stage you are is essential and each mentor will usually cover some part of your experience here.
Mentors can help you:
transition into a new position and learn the ropes, including conventions (both explicit and implicit)
advocate on your behalf for advancement and/or awards
provide encouragement and advice
provide a support network and sense of community
There are several resources for mentorship that you can turn to (a non-exhaustive list):
your PI
your friends and family
senior members in the group
your peers in the group and classmates
collaborators, including students, postdocs, and PIs
your dissertation committee
your course instructors
people you meet through seminars, conferences
experiences of superstar scientists
Not all relationships have explicit mentorship built into them and some are more indirect (like with superstar scientists). Like all relationships, mentoring relationships take time and effort to cultivate. And of course, you will invariably become a mentor yourself to others!
Be proactive and prepared with what you are asking when contacting mentors for meetings.
Q: How can I find a mentor? What should I look for in a mentor?
There are a plethora of online resources for how to find a mentor. Some ones that may be useful:
Q: I have mentor(s), what do I talk to them about?
Many topics are possible with having several available mentors:
Career goals and timeline; entering the job market and field-specific practices
Research plans and possible publications
Research group culture (e.g., daily schedules, interactions, expectations)
Attendance and presentations at seminars and conferences
Teaching, mentoring, supervision opportunities
Networking skills and finding additional mentor(s)
Career workshops and panels (on- and off-campus opportunities)
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