Join me on the mentoring platform

Although I am gearing up to the AP 2019 renewal period ….and all I can think of is renewal, renewal, renewal, I have recently found myself reflecting on how easy it is to just go with the flow and become so busy that you don’t take any time to think about yourself.

So when the clock struck midnight on 1^st January this year, rather than make all the usual resolutions I knew I would fall by the wayside by 2 January, I promised myself I would make a conscious effort to spend more time on my emotional and mental wellbeing, my career and my own personal development this year.

Having made this promise to myself, the next step was to have a think about what specific things I could do to take better care of myself and my progression.  One of the options which immediately came to me was mentoring.  Mentoring is an amazing way to help others in the profession realise their potential and develop their careers.  It’s also an opportunity for me spend some time with other people, and hopefully learn a few things myself.

The great thing about mentoring is that anyone can be a mentor, regardless of the stage you're at in your career, as long as you have something to share and support to give, then you’re a mentor in the making.

Alternatively, you might prefer to become a mentee and see what you could learn from someone else, be they another paralegal, a trainee or experienced solicitor.  I think we all reach a stage at some point in our careers when we could benefit from some personal professional guidance.  Whether we are looking for support as we develop in to our next role, making a leap into a new company or sector, grasping a new skill we find difficult or simply growing in confidence, the right mentor, can make a huge difference.

But will I be any good at mentoring? Well having never mentored before I just don’t know! But what I do know is that the Law Society ensures that each mentor completes a full day of training before we are let loose… so to speak.

The aim of the scheme is to help students, trainees, accredited paralegals and solicitors manage and develop their careers. The main objectives are to:

• support mentees with goal-setting and career management
• encourage mentees to take responsibility for their own skills and career development
• enhance the experience by accessing your mentor’s knowledge and expertise
• provide information about different options and career paths
• enabling mentors to ‘give back’ to the legal profession and be role models for the next generation

And after 15 years in private practice, followed by two years working at the Law Society I feel that I am in a position to offer support, encouragement and knowledge where I can.

So why not join me, either as a mentor or mentee? The Mentoring scheme is open to all accredited and trainee accredited paralegals, so let’s do this together.  Let’s build up our network and provide support and encouragement for each other and now that the mentoring platform is all online, it’s easier than ever.  Check it out… the mentoring platform is your oyster!