Resources for Emerging Green Builder Speed Mentorship Event CaGBC 27 May 2015

MENTORSHIP MATTERSDawn R Bazely, Professor of Biology

Faculty of Science York University

Toronto @dawnbazely

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–Caela Farren (2006) 8 Types of Mentorhttp://www.masteryworks.com/newsite/downloads/Article3_EightTypesofMentors-

WhichOnesdoyouNeed.pdf

“Mentorship is a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person

helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The mentor may be older or younger, but have a

certain area of expertise. It is a learning and development partnership between someone with vast experience and

someone who wants to learn.”

MENTORINGFor me, mentoring is about helping people (of all ages) to develop the soft skills that are essential and complementary to career hard skills

I have had tons of great mentors throughout my Biology career, which includes 7 years as director of York University’s IRIS (Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability 2004-15), starting in 2006

Here’s Prof Emerita Judy Myers, at right, one of my top mentors… see http://bit.ly/1uvHhOW

MENTORSHIP

I like to be prepared, so when Dana Sperling of the Toronto chapter of the Canada Green Building Council invited me to participate in a mentoring event, I made some lists of resources to remind myself about 1. why I think that mentoring matters, 2. what good mentorship looks like and 3. what resources there are out out there that I like.

I was a grad student at Oxford University and I met Judy Myers, shown earlier there in 1986. She was on sabbatical and invited me to write a book with her (it only took 17 years to finish!)

MENTORS: THE MORE THE MERRIER

When Dr. Marie McNeely (@PhDMarie) interviewed me for the Podcast series, People Behind the Science (@PBtScience) I advised people to find and listen to as many mentors as possible:

http://www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-dawn-bazely/

Dr. C. Farren lists 8 kinds of mentors: Profession or Trade Mentor, Industry Mentor, Organization Mentor, Customer Mentor, Work Process Mentor, Technology Mentor, Work/Life Integration Mentor, Career Development Mentor

RESOURCES:NETWORKING

Network building: LinkedIn (check out my profile - I worked hard on it & I’m not looking for a job), Social Media, conferences (many of them sponsor youth delegates to attend:

Rajbir (at right with glasses) and another student in my lab, Michelle, applied for, and won fully sponsored attendance at last week’s Ontario Biodiversity Summit as Youth Leaders (@YL4Biodiversity). It was a crucial networking opportunity.

Invite people for informational interviews - buy them coffee or lunch and ask them about their career paths

RESOURCES:MIND YOUR INTERNET P’S & Q’S

Minding your electronic footprint: Keep a squeaky clean online reputation by Paul Hill (author of The Panic Free Job Search): http://bit.ly/1KpxIVd

Your virtual presence is a big influencer, so tend it properly (and, have an e-presence. These days, an absence of one rings alarm bells. See https://twitter.com/LiberoFusi/status/603873518653046784).

Also, see Karen Kelsky (@ProfessorIsIn): http://bit.ly/1MIfZtF

And: Jodie Rummer’s http://figshare.com/articles/Strategically_using_social_media_to_communicate_research/1301693

RESOURCES: NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

http://nyti.ms/1G07AlW

http://nyti.ms/T9b9zu

http://nyti.ms/1qhAeqq

Aqeel, Simrat and Jana at right (L to R) at Ontario Biology Day 2014, presenting their research to students from across the province. They did BSc research honours theses in my lab. Our weekly lab meetings often covered career development including the need to read weekly newspaper columns about career development. Currently, they are completing or doing an M.Sc., B.Ed. & optometry training, respectively.

RESOURCES: READ BLOGS & LISTEN TO PODCASTS

There are loads of great blogs and podcasts out there.

General mentorship blogs:

eg http://www.recruitmentgrapevine.com/

Subject specific mentorship blogs:

eg http://www.peoplebehindthescience.com/