Mentor/Mentee Relationships
Posted On Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at at 8:00 AM by Cordova Classic“In most companies, interns are assigned mentors. What should one do if they aren't meshing well with their mentor (i.e. their assigned mentor doesn't respond to them, or seem as enthused about the arrangement)?” asks Vanecie Delva
Before you conclude that the relationship isn’t working, ask yourself “if there is anything that you can do to improve this situation? Have you contributed your best efforts towards developing the relationship? Have you made it comfortable and enjoyable to interact with you?” Determine if they are really interested in your development or if they view mentoring as another assignment that needs to be checked off. If the latter is the case, don’t divulge that you are aware of their viewpoint. When the mentor relationship isn’t working out, treat it like another project that must be completed successfully. You may be able to win this individual over. Don’t make it PERSONAL! Remain objective and avoid becoming critical. You will also be amazed at how many others in your organization will mentor you without being in an official mentor capacity.
I've found that assigned mentors often contribute to an intern's midsummer review and final review so while it's important to try and work it out, it may be a good idea to alert your recruiter to the situation and you may be assigned a new official mentor. That was the case with me this summer. My senior mentor was unresponsive, always traveling and seemed generally uninterested. I thought I would stick it our simply carry on without a senior mentor, but when I realized (I was told by recruiters) that both our assigned junior and senior mentors impacted our reviews with their comments, I quickly got in touch with my recruiting contact and informed her that I was unsuccessful in developing a relationship. I have since been assigned a new mentor, my Managing Director from last summer who is extremely influential not only with my firm but throughout Wall Street, but most importantly, he knows me well and is familiar with my work ethic.