How to Mentor Juniors at work?

Hey guys!

Today, let's have a conversation, where we will be talking about the thing, which needs to be spotted but still didn't get the proper spotlight specially at work: Mentoring Juniors!

In every offices, there always will be a manager, who teach or mentor most of the new joiners to master their areas. There are probably the chances that those juniors looking at you by the thought, "Wow! You know so perfectly, what you are doing." even if you are still figuring it out in your own mind, yeah, i heard it, exactly this is imposter syndrome, work on that, cause it a-lot of people coming to you to get your guidance, you literally are capable.

So, if you have even caught yourself in thought like, "Am i even qualified to do mentorship or what if i don't have all the answers?" really buddy, you need to come out of this.

Anyways at jobkarona.com we have seen the both sides of the table, being mentored and mentoring someone. we have learned one thing very closely, that mentoring is not about perfection, but it is about being present at the moment, you don't need to answer every question, what you need is to showing the path, like they can reach till the answer, without answering them directly.

How To Mentor Juniors at Work (Without Judging your Capability)?1: Start With Listening, Not by Lecturing

If someone came to you with their query and without listening them, you started a lecture session, how this even sounding? worst, right?

So, in mentorship the first and valuable thing you can do is to listen them, calmly and clearly. if you feel like ask questions too. let yourself be aware of what they are feeling exactly, if you clear what is the cause or reason for their problem, you can mentor them more better way.

2: Share your Experience, don't Show Off

When you understood their pain point, or they share everything, that bothering them, then it's your time to speak, you can start with your previous difficulties, with your experiences, but remember, don't show off your struggles and power how you overcome your problems alone. teach them with your past stories.

And then show them the right path or doing that thing in right way, without making them feel dumb, that's the power mentors hold.

3: Give Feedbacks which Builds them, not Breaks Them

This feedback thing is kind of tool that matters the most in your mentorship journey. provide feedback that makes their day, they should feel like working on that point, instead of feeling stupid for doing something wrong.

For example, instead of saying "This is the wrong way to do it", simply tell them, "Here is what works well here, I think this part we can improve together."

4: Create space for "Stupid Questions"

Remember juniors often show that they know enough, even they are juggling to figure it out, they just tend to show like they know more than they do.

So it's your responsibility to create an environment for them, where they feel asking questions is not making them dumb, instead this will show their curiosity toward their work.

The more they ask, the more they learn, and the more they learn, the better they get.

5: Be Available Even For Small Stuffs

Break the myth that for mentoring somebody, you need to have a 1 or 2 hours session, you should know that, a 5 minutes check in on them would be enough sometimes.

So always check them by asking such things, "hey, how's it going?" or have a short discussion in corridor or over slack is enough to make someone feel supported.

Mentorship is not a task to perform, it's sort of responsibility you take, a trust you earn from your juniors, so don't judge yourself that you can't do that mentoring if someone is asking for help, you are enough, don't let your imposter syndrome win this time, or don't even make them feel down or stupid while asking for help.

So keep growing, keep evolving and keep mentoring! With jobkarona.com you can even find the best opportunity for mentor role, so explore today, and thank us later!