{"id":7467,"date":"2016-10-26T08:00:44","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T12:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=7467"},"modified":"2018-08-16T13:24:43","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T17:24:43","slug":"mentorship-making-a-difference-by-modeling-young-minds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2016\/10\/26\/mentorship-making-a-difference-by-modeling-young-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"Mentorship: Making a Difference by Modeling Young Minds"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo courtesy of The Plank Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Having a mentor in the public relations industry is essential to success. Having a mentor, and being a mentor, can also be one of the most rewarding professional and personal experiences. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mentorship presents an opportunity for personal growth and professional development, but how are these relationships formed? Where can you find mentorship opportunities? What should a mentor embody? What value does a mentorship hold?<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding a mentor can be intimidating. The key to finding and building that relationship is to not look for anyone specific, but to put yourself out there. The more opportunities you take to make connections, the more chances you get to spark a mentorship with someone you admire. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMentors surround you today and tomorrow,\u201d said Texas State University Senior Lecturer Olga Mayoral Wilson. \u201cThey are here but you don\u2019t see them yet. When you network your area, the possibilities of finding a mentor expands. There\u2019s an opportunity every day.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A great starting point for students to look for a good mentor is within their PRSSA Chapter. Upperclassmen are a great mentor resource to consider. Not only are they in the same organization, but they have previous experience and solid connections. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe sooner you join PRSSA the more upperclassmen you will meet,\u201d said Texas State University senior Taylor Carfield. \u201cThese students have already taken the classes you will soon be taking and they know the ropes of public relations on the collegiate level. Peer mentors are a huge and invaluable resource that PRSSA offers members.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important for mentors to lend advice when needed but also allow the mentee to make their own decisions. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a mentor you should focus on teaching your mentee the importance of gaining experience,\u201d Carfield said. \u201cA mentor should encourage their mentees to go for the internship, join a committee, take an extra mass communication elective or learn how to code. As a public relations professional it\u2019s important to package yourself as a well-rounded asset.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

If you are the mentee in the relationship it\u2019s important to be honest about the struggles you have. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask questions and allow your mentor to challenge you to be better. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen building the mentor-mentee relationship be open and truthful, sincere and ethical,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cOpen yourself to be inquisitive, devote time to learn and read about issues you don\u2019t know much about. Think about your community and your environment; how can you make a difference through the public relations profession?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Having a mentor, and being a mentor, is an opportunity to learn as a leader how to help someone become successful based on your guidance. In return, it\u2019s also an opportunity to learn from someone who has been in your shoes. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMentors are a must throughout your whole life,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cA mentor in life guides and identifies the potential in you. That\u2019s the mentor\u2019s main job and nothing else. You alone will find your inner calling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take a chance and put yourself out there. Whether you\u2019re searching for a mentor, or are asked to be a mentor, remember that it is a rewarding experience that will help both parties grow. <\/span><\/p>\n

A mentor in public relations professional helps you navigate the rough seas of the industry. There are so many unknowns in the professional world when you are a \u201cnewbie,\u201d and a mentor can make a big difference. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n

Kaley Consford is a junior at Texas State University and serves as the financial adviser for the public relations committee in the Texas State PRSSA Chapter. In her free time, Consford enjoys reading, hiking and watching \u201cThe Office.\u201d Follow her on Twitter <\/span><\/i>@KaleyConsford<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Having a mentor in the public relations industry is essential to success. Having a mentor, and being a mentor, can also be one of the most rewarding professional and personal experiences. Mentorship presents an opportunity for personal growth and professional development, but how are these relationships formed? Where can you find mentorship opportunities? What should a mentor embody? What value […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[610,2325,36,360,15,110,601],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7467"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7467"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7469,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7467\/revisions\/7469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}