Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.
-John Crosby

The speed mentoring event at the 2011 annual meeting in Palm Springs was a fast-paced, interactive opportunity for bringing together potential mentors and protégés. The quick exchange format allowed those seeking career and research guidance to hear about the experiences of others, and potentially find a long-term mentor/protégé match.

Guidance and breakthroughs. Encouragement and connections. So much is gained by becoming a mentor or protégé. Open doors for others, and doors will be opened for you.

As a protégé, you can expect help with career development, encouragement, honest criticism and feedback, and advice from someone with real-world experience.

Mentors also receive important recognition and feedback, a fresh perspective on the industry, and insight into basic or new research programs.

Together, both protégé and mentor will be exposed to a new level of professional contacts.

Sponsored by the Product Development Panel

Suggested Activities for Protégés and Mentors

Interact in whatever way makes sense but interact frequently.

Many mentor-protégé pairs may not be located where it is convenient to interact directly. However, being together at the AACC Intl. annual meeting may be a possibility and the myriad of activities associated with it would afford an excellent venue to establish and maintain a relationship. E-mails, connections through social media, phone calls, and letters are all primary means of communication and should be engaged at least every couple of weeks.

So…what are good subjects for discussion and what are some good things to do to foster a mentoring relationship? Here are a few ideas:

• Talk about the things on your information sheets.
• Discuss the mentor’s career path.
• Discuss the protégés career aspirations and how the mentor might help.
• Serve on an AACC Intl. committee or panel together.
• Discuss the companies, universities and government laboratories in the food industry and the people you know that work in each.
• Find out about research programs in the companies, universities, and government laboratories.
• Network with other mentor-protégé pairs.
• Evaluate new trends in grain-based products.
• Discuss the protégé’s current activities.
• Read CFW and Cereal Chemistry articles of interest and discuss them by phone or e-mail.
• Collaborate on something where you have a common interest.
• Share information on your hobbies.

Program participants will be matched by the Professional Development Panel, using results from the online survey (below), and sent information about the person with whom they have been matched. Mentors and protégés are then encouraged to introduce themselves over the phone or via e-mail and should make arrangements for ongoing regular contact throughout the year. If both parties will be in attendance at the upcoming annual meeting, make sure to make plans to meet in person as well.

Fill out the online survey to become a mentor or a protégé. Applications for the 2012 program are due Friday, August 17, 2012.

For more information on this program, please contact Angela Dodd or
Sean Finnie, Mentoring Program co-chairs.