5 essential PR mentoring skills

My rise from rags (waitressing) to riches (junior account executive) began in a dressing room at a mall instead of a pumpkin patch and ended at a desk in a boutique agency, not a ballroom.

I met our senior account executive, Krystal Tingle, while trying on a dress to wear to another interview at a large public relations firm. When I didn’t get the position, I was asked to come in and assist Krystal.

A few months later I ended up working for the company. It was birds and mice that got Cinderella ready for the ball; I had two women who were my “fairy Godmentors”— Krystal Tingle and Leah Scherschel—that taught me the ins and outs of the PR world.

It’s been almost a year and I recently finished mentoring an intern of my own. Throughout the process, I consciously tried to extend the same courtesies that I experienced while being mentored. I also came to understand the challenges that my “Godmentors” must have faced while training me.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when mentoring for the first time so your mentor flourishes and doesn’t refer to you negatively.