Principles for Mentors:

Mentors guide Interns through the NIH culture on the way to building strong and successful careers. The following statement of principles will help Mentors and Interns understand the most important aspects of this role.

• The Mentor will personally commit to assisting the Intern to develop his/her career goals and objectives for the Internship.
• The Mentor will be available to the Intern when needed.
• The Mentor will know NIH's history and likely future trends and use this knowledge to assist the Intern to choose training assignments which will prepare him/her to achieve a high level position.
• The Mentor will teach the Intern the NIH's culture including values, procedures, and special issues.
• The Mentor will help the Intern understand his/her progress and guide his/her growth.

The Mentor will inform himself or herself about career opportunities at NIH and elsewhere in the Federal agencies, to maximize the likelihood of matching the Intern with an ideal position.


Characteristics of a Good Mentor:

• Knowledgeable about NIH's history and likely trends. S/he provides the Intern with long-range perspectives which are needed to help design a career path that will facilitate achievement of higher level positions.
• Knowledgeable about NIH's organizational culture. S/he provides insight on protocol, politics, key personnel, networking, opportunities, management, procedures, special issues, and potential rotations and appropriate training courses.
• Knowledgeable about career opportunities at NIH and in other Federal agencies.
• Willing to serve as a role model, counselor, advisor, teacher, friend, supporter, booster, confidant, interceder, guide, overseer, resource, and facilitator.
• Personally committed to career development.
• Willing to be accessible when needed in order to develop and sustain an effective working relationship.
• Able to promote openness, candor, and sharing of concerns while monitoring the Intern's progress and providing constructive feedback.
• Able to help Intern ensure that the rotational assignment is the correct one and properly applied.

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