Looking for somewhere you can discuss your workplace challenges and career goals in a safe environment? Always said you would give back to the community one day, but never got around to it? Read on to learn why mentorship is a rewarding way to meet your professional goals.
The SSP Mentorship program connects scholarly publishing professionals at all career levels through the personalized matching of mentees and mentors by the Career Development Committee. Both mentees and mentors expand their professional network, exchange ideas and experiences, and learn how other organizations respond to a rapidly changing world. Alisa Clark, a former mentee and mentor, explains the program’s unique matching process and benefits.
Mentorship is a proven approach to advancing one’s career, particularly for those new in their field or from traditionally marginalized groups. Mentorship goes beyond training and education by empowering newcomers to navigate confusing or complex real-life situations. Mentors and mentees can be of any age or career stage.
As Gabe explains, mentors benefit by giving back to the field, enjoying the satisfaction and impact of sharing their knowledge and experience, expanding their networks, and learning new things from their mentees. Mentees benefit from new perspectives on their work, expanding their networks, gaining a sounding board for ideas and projects, and increasing their self-worth. Participants in mentoring programs also report increased chances of promotion and job satisfaction.
Mentoring Benefits
The benefits of mentoring go way beyond the mentee’s personal development, positively affecting the mentors themselves and the organizations they work for. The benefits are expansive, from supporting inclusion through exposure to new perspectives to increased self-confidence and awareness.
Mentorship can help scholarly publishing professionals identify potential career paths by expanding their knowledge of career options within the industry and providing learning experiences outside their workplaces. It can help shape future leaders of scholarly communications by expanding their professional competencies. Mentorship is critical to attracting a more diverse workforce by providing opportunities for professionals new to the industry to learn about the culture of scholarly communications, make new contacts, and feel welcome in our community.
Benefits for Mentors:
- Leadership skill development
- Art of delivering feedback
- Art of asking questions
- Becoming a good listener
- Growing a personal network
- Supporting another person
- Paying it forward
- Learning from someone else
Benefits for Mentees:
- Develop strong communication skills
- Growing a personal network within the business
- Learn to self-reflect
- Improve goal-setting
- Learn from other’s experiences
- Learn to ask good questions
- Being supported by someone
- Being advocated for
How It Works
The next cohort will run from October 2024 through March 2025, and we are accepting applications for mentees and mentors now through September 23. We are deeply committed to fostering a community that supports and benefits from the talents of scholarly publishers from a wide range of backgrounds. We believe that our community must center diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and we strongly encourage people from traditionally marginalized groups to apply as mentors or mentees.
There is no cost to apply, but participants (mentors and mentees) must be SSP members. More information about program details, eligibility requirements, and how to apply is available on our Mentorship page.
We want to thank our program sponsors, American Geophysical Union and ITHAKA. For organizations interested in supporting the SSP Mentorship Program, $1,000 sponsorship packages are available. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please download the SSP Media Kit or contact Kristen Totaro at parnterships@sspnet.org.
The Mentorship Program is made possible by the Generations Fund. Generous donations from members and industry endow the Generations Fund to allow SSP the resources, in perpetuity, to continue this program. Click here to learn more or make a gift to help us reach our $500,000 goal.
Visit our Mentorship page for more information about program details, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.
News contribution by SSP member Aileen McHugh. Aileen is a Senior Associate Publisher and Sales and Circulation Director at the American College of Physicians.
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