I’ve benefited from many great mentoring relationships throughout my career. Each relationship provided the support I needed at that life stage, helping me define and work towards personal and professional goals.

According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, the benefits of mentorship are clear. Mentees “perform better, advance in their careers faster, and experience more work-life satisfaction”. It is also important to remember that mentoring is two-sided, and that mentors also benefit from acting as a trusted advisor.

In higher education, mentoring contributes to retention and student success. However, college students don’t necessarily seek out mentoring relationships or know how to establish such a connection.

I’m not sure I really knew what a mentoring relationship entailed when I was at university. My professors, parents, and friends supported. In retrospect, however, I would have benefited from the unique support a mentor provides.

To help break down some of these barriers, this article outlines what it means to be a mentor, the different types of mentors, and how to grow a mentoring relationship.