Mentorship Network

Program Overview

Our Mentorship Network connects DC PBK Association members with one another to share professional advice and foster curiosity within the PBK community. Through connecting members of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences, the Mentorship Network aims to catalyze learning relationships among DC PBK Association members and strengthen the personal and professional lives of individuals and their connections to the Association.

How is the program structured?

The DC PBK Mentorship Network offers several ways for members to connect!

Mentor Directory

Our mentor directory serves as a sort of ‘marketplace’ for members to find mentors to meet with! Only DCPBK members have access to this directory and have the ability to directly contact mentors by sending them a direct message in the directory. You can sort the mentor directory list by PBK chapter, degree, and occupation. Throughout your career, you might need different types of mentorship, so feel free to reach out to different mentors!

Mentors and mentees once connected can meet together on their own terms – virtually, in-person, once a week, once every two months, whatever they decide!

We are always looking for more mentors of all career stages: young professionals who can support recent graduates, mid-career professionals who can help members become a supervisor for the first time, and retired members who can support members see the big picture in their careers. Everyone has the ability to become a mentor!

Directions to Become a Mentor

FOR EXISTING DCPBK MEMBERS:

Log in, go to your account, click on Profile
Near the bottom, click “Check below if you would like to be a mentor.”
This opens new questions. Answer them and save your profile.
Now you’re added to the Mentor Directory!

FOR NEW MEMBERS:

The option to become a mentor is part of the membership join process! You’ll see this when you are joining DCPBK.

>> Go to the Mentor Directory

Mentorship Mixers

For many members, the Mentorship Mixers are the highlight of their participation in the program! Three to four times a year, DCPBK hosts these always-popular mixers, both in-person and virtually. We invite all DCPBK members and mentors to these mixers where participants can connect in round-robin style activities and ice-breakers. These mixers are a great opportunity to meet our mentors and make connections! Mixers will be announced in the DCPBK newsletter and listed in the events section of the website.

Mentorship Workshops

Have you ever thought “I’d love to help other people in my industry, but I don’t know how to be a mentor,” or “I’m not experienced enough to be a mentor?” Our mentorship workshops are for you! Twice a year, these workshops will be held to help mentors (and mentees!) learn how to derive the most benefit from mentorship! We’ll help give you the tools to create fruitful mentorship sessions and relationships, as well as help you become more comfortable giving or accepting mentoring.

Resources

DCPBK Mentorship Network Program Handbook

Mentorship Program Frequent Questions

Should I be a mentor or a mentee searching for a mentor?

Anyone can be a mentor! From young professionals to experienced professionals and retirees, anyone can help provide feedback and support to another. If you have advice to provide for another member, like reviewing resumes, or are a great listener, you might make a great mentor! We encourage traditional match-ups (young profession to experienced professional), as well as peer matches between individuals at similar career stages.

What are the benefits of peer mentorship?

Mentorship is often thought of as a relationship between an experienced professional and a young professional, but peer mentorships can also result in incredibly insightful experiences for those involved. Embarking on a peer mentorship within the DC PBK community is a great way to jumpstart your involvement in the Association, as well as provide a meaningful and structured way to expand your professional network. Peer mentorship is a great opportunity to meet a like-minded individual on a similar career path as you with whom you can share insight, advice, and information on growing professionally. Additionally, a peer mentor may be able to provide that extra set of eyes needed to review your resume or let you know about interesting industry or academic events.

Why is it called a “network”?

You’re right, you’ve caught us – connecting people one-on-one doesn’t sound like much of a network! That’s where our Mentorship Mixer events and online communication come in. We hope to connect members not just with their mentor/mentee, but also with other DC PBK members undertaking this experience alongside you. At Mentorship Mixer events, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with other members (and who knows, maybe find your next peer mentor or mentee!).

How will I provide feedback on the program?

Learning from and adapting to participant experiences is essential for making this program work. Surveys will be distributed once or twice a year. Additionally, you can contact us at [email protected] at any time with questions or concerns.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Questions or concerns can be emailed to [email protected].