A Commitment to Mentorship
January is National Mentoring Month. It’s a time to acknowledge, celebrate, and thank those who serve as mentors across our industry and beyond, as well as inspire and encourage new mentors. Program Manager, Andy Wells, has been a passionate mentor to dozens of young professionals throughout his 20-year career. Beyond his day-to-day work on projects and with engineers of all levels of experience, he elevates our industry by connecting with and mentoring students and emerging engineers.
For the past five years, Andy has participated in the University of Minnesota’s CSE Mentor Program, connecting with students and helping them navigate their career paths. However, mentoring has been a part of his life for much longer. When asked what inspires him to mentor, Andy shared, “I was fortunate to have good mentors early on in my career ... I want to pay that forward and help others the same way.”
Outside of formal programs like the CSE Mentor Program at the U of M, Andy says he meets a lot of mentees through regular networking channels. Mentoring connections can be made lots of places and mentor conversations can cover a variety of topics, “We’ve spent a lot of time together discussing everything from classes, to prepping for interviews, to prepping them for their specific job after graduation.”
Andy credits mentoring as one of the reasons he had success in early leadership positions, “I found myself in a senior leadership position early in my career and my mentors are a big part of the reason that I was able to succeed.” Besides paying it forward, Andy also sees the broader impact of mentorship on the industry. “As an industry, we are facing a talent deficit – there simply aren’t enough people available to hire. This means that young professionals have the ability to grow faster in their careers and take on more challenges. As mentors, it’s on us to help get these young professionals ready for the next steps of their careers.”
Dedicating valuable time away from regular work to mentor can be challenging with a busy career. “Sometimes it’s hard to find motivation for it, especially when I’m busy, but every time I get to a mentoring meeting, I am very thankful that I did it,” Andy reflected. “I always leave them energized and with great ideas.”
For those considering becoming mentors but unsure of where to start, Andy offers some simple advice, “I often hear that people don’t think they have enough experience to mentor others, and that’s just not true. I feel like I learn a lot from my mentees, so it really is a two-way street. So, my advice to potential mentors is to just do it!”
Isthmus is grateful for Andy’s dedication to mentorship and involvement in shaping the next generation of engineers. If you’re looking for mentorship opportunities, your college or alumni network can be a great place to start. For more information on the CSE Mentor Program at the University of Minnesota, visit their website at CSE Mentor Program.