Many would agree that it is only right to give after you have received. Scholars are given the noble opportunity to do so – After receiving tutelage themselves, they are given the opportunity to return the favour by taking up leadership roles.

Being groomed to groom is in no way a means to an end. The very task of grooming others presents scholars with the opportunity to continue to be developed.

Being Groomed by a Mentor

One benefit of a scholarship is the provision of a mentor to whom you can turn for advice and assistance. The learning curve at work can be steep for fresh graduates, especially when theoretical concepts you learn in school do little to help you execute tasks in an unfamiliar environment.

This is when a mentor can be extremely beneficial – someone who knows the ins and outs of the business and can show you the most effective way to fulfil a task. The first few months at work would be less daunting with the presence of a mentor who understands what you are going through. They have been in your shoes before after all, so they know exactly how you feel.

Apart from offering you new insights into the business and industry, mentors will also offer support by introducing you to useful contacts in and out of the organisation. This will do much in helping you expand your business network, critical especially for a newbie with zero connections.

To Give in Return

And after a few years in the organisation, you will be equipped with ample knowledge and experience. This will be your turn to render support to new employees, just like how you have been supported before.

From your personal experience, you will know that mentors are required to address their mentees’ concerns tactfully. You may feel a certain sense of gratitude for your mentor as you muse over the times he/she was at the other end of your queries. You will also come to realise that it takes a whole lot of patience to effectively fulfil your role.

In maximising your listening and communication skills, you will be moulded into an even more effective communicator. Furthermore, this will train you to become an effective manager, one armed with essential people-management and supervisory skills. The opportunity to be a guide and mentor to new colleagues will also provide you with a greater sense of fulfilment and job satisfaction.

And thus the cycle continues – you will eventually watch your mentees grow to become independent workers, ready to pass on the knowledge they have acquired. Learning and developing in the workplace does not end when your tasks are accomplished. If anybody would know the importance of continual learning and developing, and how it never ends, it would be a scholar.