Mentors can play an important role in your graduate experience. While your academic advisor is assigned to help you with program requirements, mentors are often people you choose based on your goals, interests, and support needs.
Mentoring relationships can grow over time and come from many directions, not just your department. It is common for graduate students to build a team of mentors who each support different aspects of their development.
Why Build a Mentoring Team?
No single person can meet every need you may have during graduate school. A mentoring team offers:
- Multiple perspectives on your academic and career goals
- A network of support for research, teaching, writing, and well-being
- Guidance on navigating different phases of your degree
- Opportunities to learn from people with different identities, experiences, and professional paths
Who Can Be a Mentor?
Mentors are not always assigned or official. They may include:
- Faculty inside or outside your department
- Postdocs or advanced graduate students
- Alumni working in academia, industry, or public service
- Professionals in your field of interest
- Staff members who understand graduate student support
- Peer mentors who share similar experiences
When looking for mentors, think about what kind of guidance or support you need. You may want different mentors for:
- Research or creative work
- Teaching and communication
- Career exploration
- Navigating identity or inclusion in your field
- Mental health or personal well-being
How to Identify Potential Mentors
Mentors are often found through:
- Courses, labs, or assistantships
- Research collaborations or co-authorship
- Department or Graduate College events
- Professional development workshops or webinars
- Conferences or academic presentations
- Recommendations from peers, advisors, or staff
Ask yourself:
- Who asks good questions or gives thoughtful feedback?
- Who has a career path or identity I admire or relate to?
- Who makes space for different voices or experiences in academic settings?
- Who listens well or makes me feel seen?
Reaching Out to Mentors
Approaching a potential mentor doesn’t have to be formal or intimidating. You can start with a conversation, email, or quick meeting.
Here are a few sample openers:
- “I’m really interested in your work on [topic]. Would you be open to talking about your research and how you got started?”
- “I’m exploring career paths and would appreciate hearing how you navigated your own choices.”
- “I’m building my network of mentors in graduate school. Would you be open to connecting sometime soon?”
Tips:
- Be clear about what you’re hoping to learn or discuss
- Start with small steps, recognizing that mentoring relationships often grow naturally
- Respect the mentor’s time and boundaries
- Follow up and say “thank you”
- Be open to connecting again later, even if the first meeting is brief
Keep Building Your Team
Mentoring relationships may shift as you progress through graduate school and that’s normal. It’s okay to:
- Seek new mentors as your goals change
- Check in less frequently with some mentors and more often with others
- Let mentoring relationships evolve into professional collaborations or friendships
- Thank mentors and stay in touch even if your paths diverge
Helpful Resource: National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) Mentor Map (login with your Boise State email using our institutional membership)