A Growing Need for Formal Mentorship

At 5+ years in the advertising industry, I’m already considered a veteran. We advertising folks call it ‘the revolving door,’ otherwise known as the high turnover rate. Lots of fresh-faced grads enter this field dreaming of Mad Men-style pitches, impassioned strategy meetings, quirky co-workers, and endless pours of whiskey in darkened bars. A mentor once told me that only about 30% of you will make it to where I’m standing now. That rate could be higher with more formal mentorship.

As a veteran, I get a lot of questions from folks that are new to the agency setting. This is often their first real job. They ask me about how to manage their time, if the boss hates them, how they can talk to X client to get Y result. When putting forth any work, they ask how they can really drive ABC point home, visually, in the powerpoint, and more importantly, what could be left out. After particularly difficult meetings, where expectations were not clearly understood or there was some misalignment, they ask how they could recover and regain the trust of their clients.

Anyone who has asked me these questions can attest that my answers are never binary. There is no ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ It’s often a drawn-out conversation over coffee on a Friday afternoon and includes a story or five. I can dish out thousands of stories on my time in the industry, but ultimately, they only serve as one point of view. No matter how painful, the answers to these questions can only be learned by making mistakes.

Mistakes build experience, but they also take up valuable time.

Many rookies who end up in advertising choose the job or industry for the wrong reasons, out of willful ignorance, out of fear, out of competition with their peers, or more commonly, out of not knowing who they are and what they are good at. That can lead to the above questions getting asked and answered on repeat.

In fact, I wouldn’t be able to answer these questions or provide insight for the newcomers if I hadn’t flailed for some time in this industry myself. Again, you learn by making mistakes. More on my own struggles with the advertising industry at a later date.

This got me thinking. Is there a way to ensure that students (and career changers, career upgraders, entrepreneurs, job seekers, trail blazers, etc. ) end up choosing a job, career or industry that is just a little more ‘perfect’ for them than the alternative?

The need for formal mentorship is growing.

Unfortunately, getting a job is partially a function of who you know. According to a Glassdoor.com study, “employee referrals boost the odds of a successful job match by a statistically significant 2.6–6.6 percent.”

Having played mentor to many recent college grads, recent agency converts, and fledgling juniors who just needed a push in one direction or another, I can’t help but wonder — is something missing in the way we choose and progress in our career paths?

I’d say this is most clearly exemplified by the “going to college, but then changing directions and going to a coding bootcamp” movement. I know, because I was one of these people. Some of these bootcamps actively advertise to liberal arts graduates who are, no matter how you look at the data, underemployed. They promise a great life after you learn how to code. (Don’t get me wrong — learning new skills like coding is excellent. It’s an extremely attractive skill to have on your resume. There will be an exponential need for programmers in the future and the job enjoys great work-life balance and even a great paycheck!). But, what happens after? Not everyone can rely on their college contacts to land an interview at a tech company or startup. Questions about interview processes are often met with shrugs or quick, post-class 5-minute answers. The curriculum and network gained at these coding bootcamps can only take you so far.

At best, a few students from each coding class come out with a solid resume and job offer. At worst, they may be completely unprepared for the job search. Perhaps the subject matter was a bad fit; perhaps the student wasn’t given the right skills and/or connections to succeed post-bootcamp.

Additionally, in an economy where college is nearly a requirement to get a ‘decent’ job, students are left majoring in areas of study that are hastily picked without any deep inquiry or insight. I too fell for the Parent Mantra: “I don’t care what you study, just go to college and you’ll get a good job.”

If you fell for this too, you know that this is not followed by an exhaustive search into the job market, or careers that would fulfill you on a financial or spiritual level. Most teens say, “I’ll figure it out” and are quickly stopped by a reality check (in the form of missed rent payments, quarter-life crises — you get the idea) and ends by questioning of everything you have ever known. I wasn’t alone in this problem, but I didn’t know that. This phenomenon is evidenced by the number of posts from middle and high school students on Reddit forums like /r/findapath.

With an ever-growing list of paths one can take (thank you, internet and technology), we are paralyzed by both the fear of choosing just the right path (“what if I get bored?” “What If…?”) or a completely wrong path (“D’oh!” — Homer Simpson).

Reforming Mentorship

Mentorship doesn’t have to be this big, weighty, exclusive concept.

The term mentorship is still unnecessarily formal. It implies strict, weighty accountability on both sides. The relationship may seem like a sort of one on one lecture between professor and student. It implies a one-way street for learning. Really, a mentor should simply be a great listener and offer advice where necessary or appropriate.

But, there are some problems with this.

How exactly does one even find a mentor? How can you navigate being a mentor in today’s tiptoe-lightly or brazenly-transparent work cultures?

It can be treacherous asking peers for advice. Especially when you’re on the same team and at the same level. In many organizations, your co-worker is your competition.

Asking your boss to be a mentor is tricky. What if you feel the need to discuss career trajectory outside of the company? Some managers are more than open to this (kudos, if this is you), but for the most part, this is a topic best not addressed.

On LinkedIn, out-of-the-blue mentorship requests, or mere coffee invitations, can come across as awkward and out-of-bounds.

In coding bootcamps, some of this career trajectory territory is covered, but more often than not, it is not as thoroughly discussed. The need for mentorship can also take a very individualized turn — students may want to utilize their previous experience along with their newly acquired skills for their next gig. Who will be willing to listen and provide valuable advice?

I’ve found that my siblings often come to me for advice. While I heartily give up stories and ‘you better do this…’, index finger shaking and all, I can only provide what I know and that may not be relevant to their situation or career field.

Elsewhere online, as on Quora, career advice is readily given by anonymous users who just want to help. Often, a post will have a lengthy, accompanying story and more users will jump in with their thoughts. It’s a good start, but rarely is the advice (or individual’s story) followed up on. There is little accountability because of the wall of anonymity.

Moving Forward

I’ve had my own struggles finding mentorship throughout my career. Advertising isn’t even close to what I studied in college or grad school. I’ve had many ‘mentors’ that pointed me in a direction that wasn’t right; by that same token, I did not have the vocabulary at the time to express what I thought my strengths and interests were.

Perhaps there is a better way. I’ve decided (along with my real-life partner in crime, Robby) to establish a community of soon-to-be-grads, post-grads, ‘industry experts’, career risk-takers, and path changers who are hoping to offer some advice to all the newbies out there and receive some advice themselves. Think of it as a more formal, networked mentorship for real people with real resumes.

More details are forthcoming, but if this seems like something you would be interested in — whether you envision your role as a potential mentor or someone who is just looking for career advice — head over to NextPath and drop your email. We’re building something for everyone else who is also wondering- where can I go, and who can I talk to?