The mentoring scheme is now open for new buddies! Whether you’ve taken part in the scheme before and would like to extend your network further, or you’re new to mentoring, the buddy scheme is an excellent opportunity to connect with other Stemprans, gain new perspectives, and advance your career.
The form will be open until Friday 5th July. To take part, please complete your details here: https://forms.gle/w2Yc3euQfWeYigtZA
The information you provide will be kept confidential and used solely to pair you with your ideal buddy. If you have any queries, please get in touch with buddy scheme administrator, Jodie, at jodie.bell@tandf.co.uk.
To give you an idea of why signing up to this scheme can be so useful as both a mentee and mentor, we interviewed a buddy pair and asked them a few questions!
Natasha Chen, Media Relations Assistant, Taylor & Francis Group Newsroom – Mentee
What made you decide to sign up to the Stempra buddy scheme?
Partly because of the recommendations of my managers at work who are huge champions of mentoring and the benefits you can get from it, and partly because I’m keen to find out more about science communication and connect with more people in the same industry! Having been a Stempra member for roughly a year, I already knew Stempra was a great organisation and community, so it felt natural to apply for the buddy scheme to see if I could find a mentor and I am very glad I did because I met Molly and it’s been a great experience so far!
How do you arrange when to chat/ what to chat about?
Our mentor meetings are online, and it was largely arranged in the first “chem-check” meeting to see what works best for us. It’s quite informal so the date and time can change every now and then, but once a month works best for us, with the knowledge that we can adjust it according to our needs.
In terms of what to talk about, it really depends on the day. Sometimes I go into a meeting knowing what I want to talk about because of certain circumstances that may have prompted a question that I’d like a second opinion on; other times it’s very much a case of just chatting about what has been going on and seeing what wisdom Molly can share!
Could you give an example of something you’ve found useful to chat about with Molly?
I’m not very familiar with sci comms beyond my own job and at the time I was quite fresh into the industry. Molly’s worked in this area for a couple of years more than me, so it’s been great hearing about her experience of sci comms as well as what progression looks like seeing as she was in my position not too long ago. She’s given me insight into what it’s like to work in her role as well as previous ones, so I’ve managed to find out more about the industry and it’s given me a better idea of what sci comms looks like.
It’s also been really helpful to get advice about some of the challenges I face and where I can go to get some more help. Sometimes it can be nice to have someone listen and commiserate about the same issues even if we don’t know the answer/solution!
Molly Andrews, Senior Communications and Media Officer, UK Dementia Research Institute
What made you decide to sign up to be a mentor?
I was already involved in the scheme as a mentee, and am lucky enough to have a fantastic mentor who has been incredibly helpful to me in a whole host of ways. But I had assumed, still being quite junior in my career, that I wouldn’t have a huge amount to offer as a mentor at this stage. It was actually a conversation with a peer over drinks that persuaded me, as she rightfully pointed out that, even with two and a bit years under my belt, I’d have lots of advice to offer someone just starting out in comms. So I decided to take the plunge and do my bit to hopefully give back to the scheme that had already been so valuable to me!
What was your first meeting like? Any advice or tips for setting up that first meeting?
I think Natasha would agree that we clicked right away, and I think we were very lucky in that respect. We kept it quite informal, a chance to get to know one another and for Natasha to tell me what she was hoping to get out of our meetings. I’d say the main things to establish in that first meeting are whether the mentee has any specific aims, and how often you want to meet, plus logistics (online vs. in person, for example). But also I think it’s good to go into it knowing that if you decide you’re not a good fit for one another, that’s totally ok too.
Have you seen any benefits yourself in your career, having been a mentor?
Absolutely. Being a mentor has given me a lot of confidence and helped me realise I actually do know what I’m talking about most of the time! I think Natasha and I have shared a lot of the same challenges, and helping someone else work through things I’ve also experienced earlier in my career has been a really great experience. Plus, I’m at a stage where I’m starting to work towards a managerial role, and so the experience of supporting another person in their work has been fantastic for my own learning and career development.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about signing up to be a mentor, but still on the fence?
Definitely give it a go, you won’t regret it! If, like me, you’re unsure if you have enough experience, I’d say try and think back to yourself at the start of your first sci comms job, and think about how much knowledge you’ve gained since then. I actually think it is more helpful to have a mentor and mentee pairing quite close in career stage, as your experiences of your mentee’s current challenges will hopefully be fresher in your mind and easier to impart. And it’s just lovely knowing that you have played a small part in helping somebody else to succeed.