Testimonies

The Mentoring Program experience will be unique based on you and your mentoring partner. Browse the Getting Started with Mentoring sheet and Membership Committee’s blog posts for tips on successful experiences. Here are some selected testimonies of past 1-to-1 Mentoring Program participants:

“As a first year graduate student, I cannot understate how valuable this mentorship has been. The discussions have already guided me in a direction that has borne fruit for my future, and I am forever grateful. It also provided me the opportunity to better understand the significance of what I was learning, and squashed some assumptions that I had previously held. I highly recommend for grad students in the field to participate in this program.”

“My mentee was great! I think we were well-paired and could speak to a lot of the points she wanted to discuss. I appreciated that she came to our meetings with a topic or challenge she wanted to discuss so we could make the most of our time.”

“My mentor and I had monthly check in meetings over zoom. She provided advice for my resume and cover letters. It was immensely reassuring to get positive feedback when I was applying for so many jobs during such a difficult time. Having someone in the field to check in with in a structured manner was incredibly helpful and I am very grateful to her for her time.”

“My mentee asked some thoughtful questions about how my job had changed over the years. I found it interesting to analyze my own career as well as providing insight to my new colleague.”

“My mentor experience was wonderful. She gave me great advice and encouraged me with my career throughout the year. It was nice to talk with someone about SAA and navigate it to get the most out of the membership. I enjoyed our zoom meeting and learning from my mentor about what her institution was doing during and after the pandemic closure and sharing our pandemic experience.”

“I felt like I was able to make some difference for my mentee, which felt especially important this year given COVID and the depressed job market. I was glad to be able to offer support during this time.”

“My mentor offered practical and experienced-based advice. Their feedback helped me clarify my short and long term career goals, and gave me the confidence to make (small!) steps towards my goals. My mentor was also kind and supportive at times when I needed advice on how to navigate management issues.”

“I was a bit hesitant to mentor (this was my first time around). Even though I'm a mid-career archivist and I know that I have some experience and knowledge at my fingertips, I was nervous about not knowing "enough" or letting someone down if I didn't have all the answers. At the end of the year, though, the best part was how much this experience was about exchanging information--I was able to share my mentee, but she also taught me some new perspectives, we generated solutions to challenges together, and we are planning to keep meeting on our own.”