Future of Fisheries: Perspectives for Emerging Professionals

Preface

doi: https://doi.org/10.47886/9781934874387.fmatter

In this fast-paced world of hectic schedules, impending deadlines, and increasingly long to-do lists, why would anyone want to take the time and effort to be a mentor? Mentoring is a significant time commitment, and it means using the resources and networks that a mentor has accumulated with years of experience to benefit a mentee, hopefully improving his or her life and professional experiences. Mentors are excellent resources to help identify strengths and interests and can offer a clear look into one’s chosen field, sharing in both triumphs and failures. A more philosophical view of mentoring can be described as a way to pay it forward and give back to the broader community in an attempt to improve the chances for others to succeed. Mentoring ultimately provides an environment where mentors act as a safety net, encouraging their mentees to take risks and learn from their mistakes, allowing for a better professional and individual. Regardless of how each individual defines mentoring, the product of the relationship is a synergy that empowers people to be or do something they did not recognize on their own.