Deepali Vyas is the founder of Fearless+connecting teens with college and career opportunities and a new resume format for building soft skills.
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How can young people find mentors? The way we think about connection is now different than ever before as our world – from classroom to C-suite – has become increasingly virtual. This can lead to more accessible but sometimes also less personal connections. What does this mean for mentorship?
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Accessibility for youth
I have seen the benefits of mentorship firsthand. I had a video call with Bob Iger a few years ago during his first tenure as CEO of Disney. Bob had written a book, The ride of your life, which my son happened to read. During the early months of the pandemic, when we were all working and learning from home, my son walked by my office while I was on that video call and asked if he could ask Bob a few questions. Bob kindly agreed, and they spoke briefly.
My son, who, to be clear, doesn’t usually read CEO memoirs, was immediately inspired and motivated. His eyes lit up and I saw his world view expand. I was happy for him to have had this experience, to have been able to speak to someone so successful and iconic whose years in the workforce lend themselves to applicable lessons and insights.
Then it dawned on me: why should my son have this opportunity when so many others don’t? So many kids have the curiosity and drive, but not the access. After all, my son didn’t really do anything to deserve this one-on-one interview; he didn’t sign up for a business intelligence seminar, didn’t write a personalized letter, or even walk out. All he did was ask because the opportunity presented itself right in front of him.
How can mentorship be made more accessible? Most 12-year-olds wouldn’t think it possible to have a private conversation with one of the most powerful CEOs in the entertainment industry. But here’s the bottom line: Mentoring benefits everyone.
Benefits of Mentorship
A staggering one 87% of mentors and mentees report feeling stronger and more confident as a result of their mentoring connections, and 84% said these interactions serve as a source of inspiration for both parties. Harvard Business Review also found that, compared to individuals who were not mentors, mentors reported having fewer worries and a more fulfilling job (they also found that mentoring increased the meaningfulness of their work). According to another studyemployees who participated in a mentorship program were more likely to receive a pay raise than those who did not.
Clearly, the benefits of mentorship are tenfold. And reaching people earlier can increase these benefits. So how do we adapt mentorship to fit our increasingly virtual cultures? And how do we offer and deliver mentorship opportunities to younger people who can use the insights of more experienced professionals throughout their careers? As someone who has created a platform for teens to connect with career opportunities, these are the kinds of questions I think are important for industry leaders to consider.
Social media platforms
It should come as no surprise to learn that TikTok is where most kids spend time, connect and learn. A recent Peacock study found that 67% of teens use TikTok, with 16% of teens reporting being on the app “almost constantly”. That’s a huge source of information that many kids absorb, and it’s not just dance trends and vegan recipes. TikTok provides information on everything from cleaning “hacks” to larger knowledge bases on global events and systemic inequality. The format is impeccable and revolves around short, eye-catching videos that are algorithmically curated to suit each user’s specific interests, potentially connecting them to deeper information and connections to other professionals in the field.
TikTok is also incredibly accessible. The bite-sized videos are almost always at your fingertips over Wi-Fi or mobile data. The best part? It doesn’t feel like learning. The hyper-tailored algorithm allows users to dive deeper into interests with ease, giving them both huge diversity and highly specific people, points of view, interests and skills.
I think we need to learn lessons from social media to make mentoring accessible. Virtual mentoring can be more generically programmed or one-sided (for example, a diverse collection of specific videos from mentors for mentees to view) or technology-assisted in-person mentoring.
Include mentorship
Mentoring can be asynchronous or synchronous. Asynchronous mentoring can be further personalized or depersonalized. For example, this kind of mentorship can take the form of emails with an advisor or personal financial tips from social media influencers on TikTok.
Synchronous mentorship is always more personal to the individual, with a prospective mentee seeking formal or informal mentorship with face-to-face conversations in person or screen to screen. There are several platforms emerging that offer on-demand access to experts or mentors, such as Intro or The Expert, although there may be a paid component associated with these interactions. Other mentorship opportunities may come in the form of advocacy groups and academic or professional institutions.
Democratization of access
While we often think of virtual connections as impersonal or isolating, there is a tremendous opportunity for the democratization of access. Technology has the power to enable personal mentorship for young people interested in any field. Imagine how easy access to personal mentorship could have changed your mindset as a teen. Would that have made you bolder? Confident? Curious?
We have the opportunity to find out. Our current societal climate may lead to fewer opportunities for in-person mentoring, but potentially many more virtual connections, allowing younger professionals to hone skills for future careers.
Mentoring can be extremely valuable across the board. It could be someone with experience in your chosen field or someone who is not in your field but with similar values ​​or life experiences. It could even just be someone you can identify with, feel comfortable with, and trust. Everyone deserves the chance to have a guide. After all, we are constantly inundated with media. Why not spend that time-consuming information that can help you?
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