Mentoring Friendships

Mentoring Friendships

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

I fell into journalism. It wasn’t a career path I had envisioned for myself. In fact, I pursued a mass communications minor for the sole purpose of making my English degree more marketable.

Despite my initial misgivings, I quickly fell in love with the industry. Coworkers like Kate, Maggie, and Aleisha welcomed me and made me feel like part of the team. I enjoyed the busyness of the newsroom, the feeling that there was always something exciting happening. I enjoyed working as a copy editor, reading the newspaper from cover to cover each night. It felt good to be part of the daily miracle of creating content that mattered to our community, packaging it to perfection, and sending it to the press by 1 a.m.

But for someone who had taken only a few measly courses in journalism and worked for the college newspaper, transitioning to a daily newspaper felt like a giant leap. As a new employee, I worried about whether my skills were lacking. Although I was familiar with the editing process, my new role also involved page design, which was foreign to me. I struggled to find my footing.

Thank goodness for mentors. I can still recall the uncomplaining patience that Ryan, my boss, displayed. I felt compelled to show him all of my pages and ask endless questions. Finally, at my first review, he kindly pointed out that I needed to trust myself more. I was doing just fine. But inside, I knew that all the skills I was learning wouldn’t have been possible without Aleisha’s serene poise, Kate’s perfect memory, or Maggie’s creative genius. My coworkers were excellent teachers, and it was through their encouragement that I gained confidence. As time went on, I considered them not just coworkers but friends.

The willingness of my coworkers to mentor me made all the difference in my ability to succeed. A true friend will recognize areas where we need to improve and spur us on to accomplish them, a characteristic that requires each of us to consider the needs of others just as often as we consider our own. As Christians and friends, may we continue to seek out mentoring friendships that serve to make both people stronger as they work together as a team.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Consider taking on a mentoring role for a coworker or another friend.