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Eberly College of Arts & Sciences Department of Physics and Astronomy
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Building A Mentorship Network

No one mentor will be able to meet all of your mentoring needs. Consider your personal and professional needs, and if there are gaps, seek additional mentors to add to your network.

Mentoring Phases

  • Prepare
    • Know yourself (strengths, goals, values)
    • Understand your mentoring needs
  • Launch
    • Formally establish goals, milestones, mutual responsibilities, and expectations
  • Maintain
    • Make progress towards and periodically reassess goals, milestones, and expectations
    • Focus on communication (feedback, advocacy)
  • Conclude
    • Agree on defined end points
    • Manage transitions
    • Reevaluate your mentoring needs and network

— Harvard Catalyst (source)
While the PAGSO Mentorship Program provides graduate students with one mentor, this does not mean that you will not build relationships along the way and form other mentoring relationships. Nearly every person can mentor you in some capacity. By mindfully building a mentorship network, you gain access to a personalized group of mentors who can provide you with guidance, correction, and affirmation as you progress through graduate school.

Mentoring networks consist of a variety of individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets who provide support and guidance to you in your academic and professional life. Although it is tempting to think of mentorship as a one-on-one relationship, considering the perspective of a range of individuals is more likely to ensure you reach your fullest potential.

A mentoring network should consist of multiple people who can provide mentorship in topics for which they have expertise. Harvard Catalyst suggests identifying mentors that can assist with a range of topics:

  • Developmental Mentor(s) provide you with support in areas of professional development and career training.
  • Skills/Scientific Mentor(s) provide you with support in technical skills, resources, or training.
  • Work-Life Mentors(s) provide you with support in personal-professional integration.
  • Peer Mentor(s) provide you with space to discuss shared experiences and challenges.
  • Mentee(s) are individuals for whom you provide support, training, or advice.

It is especially important to cultivate a dynamic mentoring network that includes people from outside of your home department. Examples are individuals from other institutions, connections made through professional associations, and friends or family who are a part of your personal support network. Effective networks are comprised of mentors from diverse backgrounds and at various career stages, offering a broad range of perspectives and expertise. Leveraging existing connections can be an efficient strategy for building this network.

Sustaining your mentoring network is an ongoing process that requires communication, mutual respect, and intentional effort. Regular check-ins and progress updates can help to ensure mentoring relationships are aligned with your goals as they evolve. Establishing clear expectations, such as how frequently you will meet or your method of communication, can reinforce accountability for the mentor and the mentee. 

Equally important is the evaluation and assessment of your mentoring network over time. Regularly engaging in self-reflection can help you assess the effectiveness of your relationships, the outcomes they have generated, and the professional or personal growth they have facilitated. This process enables you to identify strengths in your network as well as areas that may need improvement, like relationships that have become less active or misaligned with your goals. 

Through continuous evaluation and maintenance, your mentoring network can remain a key source of guidance, support, and long-term success at West Virginia University and beyond. Using an existing tool or framework can help in evaluation. One possible activity is provided below.

Review the skill categories checklist below. For each skill, reflect on your current support system and indicate whether you already have a mentor or would benefit from one.  Next to each skill, note where your mentor comes from, choosing from the following options:  mentor through PAGSO; mentor external to my department; mentor through the community; have no mentor; and do not need a mentor. You may also include any notes about what kind of mentoring would be most helpful for you in that area.

Interpersonal Skills
  • Define and Align Expectations
    • Source of Mentorship:
    • Notes or Reflections:
  • Constructive Feedback
    • Source of Mentorship:
    • Notes or Reflections:
Psychosocial Skills
  • Career Confidence
    • Source of Mentorship:
    • Notes or Reflections:
  • Motivation
    • Source of Mentorship:
    • Notes or Reflections:
Sponsorship Skills
  • Career Exploration and Navigation
    • Source of Mentorship:
    • Notes or Reflections:
  • Advocacy and Promotion
    • Source of Mentorship:
    • Notes or Reflections:
Reflection Questions
  • Are there skills where you lack mentorship that may not be listed here?
  • Which mentorship sources might fill these gaps?
  • What type of mentoring relationships would be most impactful for you?

Citations and Additional Resources