IMarEST CEO: ‘Mentoring is very valuable’
Chris Goldsworthy on how mentoring can help members reach their full potential, wherever their careers may take them.
IMarEST’s Member-to-Member (M2M) Mentoring, which went live at the end of July, provides members with the opportunity to develop a mentoring relationship with an experienced marine professional to help them set goals, overcome challenges and develop skills. In addition, it also allows members to access multiple mentors across different developmental areas.
Available via the IMarEST website, M2M Mentoring is free and open to all members, which means geographic location is no barrier to finding advice and support. And it’s not just mentees who benefit from the connection.
“IMarEST M2M Mentoring adds value to both ends of the career journey with our students and younger members getting more support and our more established members feeling relevant and valued by sharing their experiences [and] giving back and contributing to the next generations,” says Goldsworthy, IMarEST Chief Executive.
For an industry facing a workforce shortfall, initiatives such as this helps members at all stages of their career feel supported and valued, enabling them to thrive and thus choose to stay in the marine sector.
“Mentoring is very valuable,” enthuses Goldsworthy. “We all think that we're the first to experience a challenge, but we very rarely are. There's usually been someone [who has gone] through something similar. I would say from my personal experience in the industry, that a mentoring platform like this would have helped me greatly.”
Enthusiastic response
Prior to launch more than 100 mentors and 60 potential mentees had registered their interest in participating. “In our last member survey, we asked if people would be interested in becoming a mentor and it was an emphatic yes, with about 84% of the responders in the position to be a mentor saying yes,” notes Goldsworthy.
Importantly, the online nature of the service allows people to connect in a confidential and safeguarded way. “This platform is completely private and confidential, hence safe,” Goldsworthy stresses. “That's part of the terms and conditions for mentors and mentees, that what happens stays there.”
Being online also makes the service truly accessible, so those involved can find the right fit and support regardless of geographic location. This matters in such a global industry, where the workforce is, by nature, mobile and often isolated.
“I've had a full career in the maritime sector, and this is my first job in the UK,” notes Goldsworthy. “It’s a very global career, and this system lets people access support from anywhere in the world, and also to continue when moving location.”
Nicole Luque, Learning and Development Manager, says the programme is a great way to tap into IMarEST’s talent pool.
“IMarEST has so many really passionate professionals who are eager to share their insights and experiences to help younger professionals develop. It’s part of that engineering-science mindset, to look to help and solve problems and collaborate.”
The support isn’t just aimed at new career starters. “It’s also peer to peer,” explains Luque. “People can have a lot of experience but then they step into a leadership role and may have imposter syndrome, or they may find their role isolating and want to talk to someone, or they may have specific challenges they want to discuss with someone outside their organisation.
“There are tools and resources on the platform for every stage of the journey, with videos, PDFs and graphics. And this support isn’t just for the mentors, but also for the mentees so they can undertake SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis and set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) goals and milestones to make sure the meetings are focused on their goals”
M2M Mentoring, which is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as a Decade Activity, is available at all membership grades, including free student membership and discounted early career and seafarer memberships.
To discover more, set up a M2M Mentoring profile now.
Tell us what you think about this article by joining the discussion on IMarEST Connect.
Newsletter image: Chris Goldsworthy before becoming IMarEST CEO. Credit: Chris Goldsworthy.
Top image: mentoring in an engineering environment. Credit: Shutterstock.
