All of Your Mentors Will Not Look Like You: Mentorship Across Identity Lines
From a simple bit of advice on which skills to develop, to insight on which connections to make, mentorship shows up in various ways; however, in essence, it is meant to provide individuals guidance told from the perspective of those who have been there and done that. So many credit mentors as part of the reason why they are at the level of success they’re at today. Not to mention, the research backs this up. With mentorship comes free advice, a source of narrative education, a feedback outlet, an advocate, and people who can be there for the professional and the personal. The result? Increased employee engagement, retention, and greater career outcomes. It’s even more impactful when you have someone who looks like you as a mentor and has your lived experiences reflected back at you, but not everyone has that luxury.
Mentorship can manifest in so many areas of life. Whether you have a mentor for your one for your passion project or one for general guidance in life, all are able to provide valuable support. Just as mentorship comes in different forms, mentors do as well. Yet, for people of color, women, LGBTQ+ folks, and members of other marginalized groups, finding a professional mentor who identifies as they do can be an uphill battle. Representation is everything, but not everyone is represented. According to a…
