Finding Opportunities for Mentorship for People of Color

Finding Opportunities for Mentorship for People of Color How Leaders of Color Can Support C-Suite Diversity Through Mentoring   The benefits of having a mentor have been widely studied and discussed. Professionals who have been mentored enjoy  higher salaries,  more  opportunity for promotions, and greater career  satisfaction, as a result of their mentor’s influence, experience,  and protection.  Mentors also provide emotional support, helping their protégés  find confidence in their abilities and their identity.   But for minorities in the workplace, finding a mentor at all  â€"  let alone a mentor of the same race  â€"  can be incredibly difficult.  As outlined in the?Harvard Law Review’s “The Mentoring Gap”,?published in May 2016, there is a gap in access to mentors that “is frequently associated with students’ backgrounds â€" race, class, and gender.”  People of color may find it difficult to access mentors  at all  and  if  they do, they must overcome barriers such as differences in race, gender, job level, profession, etc.     I spoke with Deborah Hughes, President and CEO of  Brookview House in Boston, about the importance of connecting  minorities  with leaders of color.  Brookview  provides supportive housing for women and children experiencing homelessness, including programs that  teach  personal and economic independence.   “Having someone who not only knows your field but who can also speak to the specific professional and personal challenges you face as a minority navigating the workplace, is  enormously beneficial,” says Hughes.  â€œThe lack of diversity at upper  management  levels makes it especially difficult for people of color to find a mentor  who  is in their field, looks like them, and is willing to teach  them.”   Hughes was instrumental in connecting former  Brookview  resident Moriah Wiggins, now a bioengineering major at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, to  Jeri’Ann  Hiller,  senior manager  and award-winning  scientist and  medical device innovator at Boston Scientific  Corporation.     Hiller  now provides regular mentoring to  Wiggins, including guidance around  Wiggins’  college courses and  exams and building  her network  for benefits now  and in the future.  Wiggins  says she is deeply inspired by  Hiller  and grateful to have a “go to” person in the field of bioengineering, especially someone who has faced    and continues to face    similar challenges as  both  a black woman and  a  mother in a field where the diversity gap is very real.    Hughes offers this additional advice for  both  leaders of color interested in mentoring and  minorities  seeking a  mentor:   1 Be Proactive  in  Finding and  Creating Connections   “Opportunities for mentorship between people of color are more difficult to come by. We have to be proactive in seeking them out  and creating them, whether for others or ourselves,” says Hughes. That means reaching out to organizations like  Brookview  that serve as a bridge between  young people and the professional world, and constantly looking for  occasions  to make connections for others.   2 Don’t Try to Tick All the Boxes “As wonderful as it is to have a ‘perfect match’ â€" where the mentor and the protégé are both of the same gender, ethnicity,  and  socioeconomic background and both  are  in exactly the same  field â€" that is rarely possible.” Instead, Hughes advocates for  ticking as many boxes as possible, and thinking broadly  in terms of fields. “We were lucky to connect with  Jeri’Ann  who is a bioengineer but any leader of color within the STEM field could  still  have been an excellent mentor for Moriah as she completes her studies and prepares to enter the working world.”   3 Remember  Mentoring Can Be Done Remotely     Every mentoring relationship is different. Even though they reside in the same state,  Hiller  and  Wiggins  usually connect via monthly phone calls, as that is most convenient for them both.  Don’t let distance hinder a mentoring relationship; using today’s technology to make the mentoring as  efficient  and enjoyable as possible for both parties ensures the relationship’s strength and longevity.   With more mentoring relationships between people of color comes the hope of breaking through what has been called the “concrete ceiling” for minorities aiming to enter the C-Suite. Says Hughes: “We  believe in possibilities, not  limitations.” Join Dana  Manciagli’s  Job Search Master Class  now  and get the most comprehensive job search system available!