Is Free Mentorship Acceptable For Your Career?

Mentorship is a vital part of the entertainment and arts industry and our careers within it. Mentorship is especially invaluable for those who are underrepresented in the industry. This beginning of our careers often sets the stage for where we decide to take our careers in the future. However, with it being so crucial to our profession, should we expect to pay for this knowledge or if we are the ones giving this knowledge, should we expect to be paid?

If you are looking for a quality mentorship, it should have these essentials:

It should challenge you. Nothing about this industry is easy and your mentorship shouldn’t make it seem like it will be by diminishing your first experience in the professional world of it all.

It should be with someone you trust. Find or be the professional who knows what they’re talking about and has the experience to prove it. The mentor doesn’t have to be someone you know personally and perhaps shouldn’t be. The people who have a different outlook and way of doing things than us can often teach us the most.

There should be a connection. This person is going to be your introduction and help guide you. You want there to be some kind of a connection, something other than the industry that you have in common.

You should both learn from each other. We sometimes forget that we teach one another. Even without meaning to, we grow together and we inspire those around us. That shouldn’t stop with your mentor.

Here’s what you as a mentee should bring to the table:

Observe everything. You’ll be surrounded by professionals and be in an environment some only dream of. Remember to take it all in every chance you get.

Ask questions appropriately. You are still learning, and you have so many questions, and you want to know all of the answers right now so you can have all of the knowledge at your disposal. We get that, and it’s encouraged to ask questions but ask them at the right time.

Ask permission. This may not be obvious, but there are so many moving pieces (literally) behind the scenes of what goes on. Don’t just assume you can jump in and do something, ask if they need help and what you can do to be useful in a situation.

Stay in touch. Your mentor is someone you should go to for advice even after you’ve left their service. This is a person you should feel comfortable going to even years later in your career and should be able to keep as a close ally.

In the same breath, someone who is mentoring should have these necessities:

Challenge but be kind. We all know this industry is tough and hard on everyone, that doesn’t mean you need to be cruel and only have your mentee fetching you coffee all the time. Challenge them to grow and adapt, but don’t just have them adapt to your personal wants.

Trust them to help. The person you take under your wing, you should be able to trust them beyond the basics of “Turn that on” or “Hang that there” or “Plug that in” and please don’t say “Sit in the corner, don’t touch anything.”

Connect with them. Find out what they like so much about the industry and what brought them to want to do what they’re doing. If you only talk to them like you’re above them, it’s going to be difficult for the person to feel comfortable coming to you with anything they might need help with in the future.

Be open to new ideas. The industry is ever changing. How things were done 20 years ago, isn’t how things were done 5 years ago, and it certainly isn’t how things are done now. Your trainee might have a brilliant idea that you may not have thought of, the difference being you might have the skills to make their idea happen and you should be open to at least hearing it. Be sure to give them credit when it is due.

So what comes after the Mentorship?

As someone who was being trained, you should have learned much and learned well from what was taught to you. As a mentor, you should have a new up and coming professional you can feel confident recommending to your colleagues. After so much time, energy, effort, and skills have been exchanged, should we charge for this transaction? As we progress in our careers you constantly hear “I’m too experienced to do things for free.” This statement is not untrue, as everyone still needs to make ends meet and most other knowledge doesn’t come free. What is equally as true, is not everyone can afford to pay their way into starting a new career.

Also by Drew Janine: