Mentoring in a Box

 

How Can You Participate?

We are again looking for mentors and mentees at all levels. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee please see our web page for more information and apply by July 15: http://community.amstat.org/CAS/Mentoring1/WelcomePacket/Jointheprogram.  We may still take participants after the July 15 deadline, so please check.


Background

 

The ASA Committee on Applied Statisticians was allowed to extend and expand its mentoring program.  The Committee is working to match applied statistician mentors with applied statistician mentees to create long lasting value for mentees as well as mentors as was done in the 2013 pilot program.

Opportunities for Mentors and Mentees

If you are a member of the ASA or attending one of the ASA’s conferences (JSM, or the Conference on Statistical Practice for example) CAS would like to invite you to join the Partnership Mentorship Program.  We are in our second year and seeking both mentors and mentees.  Mentees are both those that are relatively new to statistics or the ASA as well as individuals looking to further their career and seeking some guidance.  Mentors are statisticians with at least 2 years of experience (although 5 or more years may be more appropriate in many cases) in statistics who are interested in helping other statisticians. 

The program has two tracks: first we will receive mentor and mentee’s CV and may ask them to answer a few questions about their experiences.  Next, CAS will review participants’ information and either recommend they join an established mentorship program within ASA (there are quite a few, and we are creating a clearinghouse of information on the various programs within the ASA) or we will match them with a mentor or mentee in our hands-on pilot program. 

Those in the program will meet either on the phone, on Skype, or face to face with their mentees three to six times within the year and then answer a short survey about their experiences.  Program materials will be provided which help guide the mentors and mentees through potential conversations, although the topics discussed are up to the mentor and mentees themselves.  This is a great opportunity to not only develop as a statistician (mentors also learn something along the way about the new challenges of their mentees), but also to stay connected to the ASA.  One of the statisticians in the CAS had a former colleague informally mentor them their second year at JSM and it not only created a lasting friendship, but also opened the mentee’s eyes to the hundreds of opportunities within the ASA and made the JSM much more enjoyable instead of large and overwhelming.  With your participation, the mentorship program may enhance your career or another statistician’s career in applied statistics and may develop future leaders for the ASA.

The mentoring program may answer important questions for mentees including: How do you create opportunities for yourself?  How do you promote yourself?  How do you network with others?  How did you get to where you want to be?  What are next steps?

For mentors, our program may answer important questions including: How do you identify and introduce opportunity to others?  How do you describe your own experiences to others to encourage them to take more strategic risks?  How do you teach others to network effectively?  How do you mentor people 1 year out of school much less 5 to 20 years out?

Resources for Mentors and Mentees

We, the ASA Committee on Applied Statisticians, will provide resources for both mentors and mentees so that the mentor can recommend participating in other ASA activities at the local level and/or joining a Section or Committee activity. 

Included in the resources will be a welcome packet.  The packet will provide logistic details, expectations of the program, a list of resources, an example list of topics that could be discuss by the pair, and a short discussion about expectations.

Tentative Timelines for Mentor-Mentee Activities

Month/Year

Details

End of July 2014

August-September 2014

  • Mentors to meet with mentees by the end of JSM (phone or in person).

August - ongoing

  • Hands-on mentoring continues.
  • Mentors meet with mentees 3 to 6 times by December 2014.

January 2015

  • Survey 2014 mentors and mentees.

After January

  • Mentors and mentees are encouraged to continue meeting for a complete year. The CAS may follow-up with program participants at the end of the year.