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Mentorship August 16, 2017
It's more than just your normal summer job, that's for sure.
According to Merriam-Webster, a mentee is defined as “one who is being mentored.”
When I was looking at the ENTITY mentorship program, I thought that this was what this program would be. Although I have been mentored, the program has been so much more than that.
We’ve gone to museums, flown planes, had some great guest speakers and learned a bunch. So, for those of you thinking about doing the mentorship program, I have two things to say to you;
One: Just Do it.
Two: Check out this article to see why you should Just Do It.
This was probably the most unexpected thing to come out of this summer. I saw this on the list of things we would be doing once I got accepted into the program. At first, I didn’t truly believe we would be doing all of these things.
However, this was one of the first experiences I remember from my time at ENTITY. This was the first experience where I was like, wow, I’m actually here at this company with a summer job, doing stuff.
We were split up into groups of three and were given private flying lessons. The plane we flew is owned by our CEO, Jennifer, and she paid a flight instructor to teach us each how to fly. The experience was honestly one of the most empowering things I have experienced.
As a child, my brother would fly planes all the time — he loved them so much. I was always too scared to go with him until now. After I flew the plane, I felt like one of my childhood dreams had been fulfilled, and the feeling was incomparable. It was an experience I will remember forever.
Work is expected with any normal summer job. However, working at ENTITY is no joke — it isn’t for those of you who are trying to just get a quick job to add to your resume.
Working at ENTITY was enjoyable, yes, but it was also a very trying time. The rotations we did every two weeks tested us mentees in new ways — our writing skills, our innovation skills, our knowledge of social media, etc.
There were days when I would go home completely dead from writing five articles or trying to crank out 20 different headlines for the same article on Disney quotes.
However, the experience and knowledge I gained was invaluable. I gained a lot of skills that I definitely didn’t have before entering the program. And those that I did have, only improved with practice.
Although our experience wasn’t quite as interesting as Sandra Bullock’s in “The Proposal,” the ENTITY staff still had the unique opportunity of performing Native American rituals.
The ENTITY staff had the opportunity to circle. This is where everyone gathers in a circle, and only talks when they have the talking stick. You are allowed to be as open or closed as you please, and there is no judgement or negativity within the circle.
“Rather than ‘helping,’ ‘fixing’ or ‘solving’ any particular problem, the intention is simply to connect with you and discover ‘what’s so’ through sharing their moment-by-moment experience and inquiring about yours,” writes The Circling Institute.
What was great about this experience was not only did the ENTITY staff become even closer than before, but we were also lead by a very special guest. We were joined by Meredith Scott Lynn, the actress behind Enid in “Legally Blonde” and Anne Milbauer from “Days of Our Lives.”
The experience was very unique because of her leadership style. And the fact that we were joined by a #womenthatdoes was an added bonus.
For many of us mentees, this truly was our first 9-5 working experience. And let me say, it was quite an experience. Working at ENTITY this summer taught me a lot about my likes and dislikes in the workplace, as well as what type of work I thrive in and what type of work I should maybe shy away from.
The great thing about doing the different rotations is that you get a little bit of everything. And if there’s a topic you hate, there’s solace in knowing that it will only last for two weeks. And when it was the week you were ecstatic about, it was the best week and you were super productive.
The rotations helped all of us learn about areas in the working world that we are more interested in than others, and exposed us to a wide array of topics. Which is great, because now we know what we are interested in and can seek jobs that give us more experience in those areas.
Walking in to the ENTITY mentorship program, I didn’t expect much to come in the way of friends. I’ve been to summer camp, and done different programs where you say you are going to be best friends forever.
But that never happens, so I wasn’t expecting much to come in the way of friends this summer. And with most of my friends doing internships remotely, I expected a very quiet summer at home.
However, ENTITY surpassed my expectations in this way. The women (and two men) I have met at this company have truly opened their arms and hearts to me, and I can concretely say I have made friendships that will last.
This program has allowed me to have after-work drinks with friends, text co-workers non-stop about anything and everything and connect with these woman on a level I didn’t think was possible. I will forever be thankful for the people I have met through this program.
Overall, the ENTITY mentorship program was a great experience. I learned a lot, made great friends, heard from industry professionals and learned not only about business, but about myself.
If you are thinking about the program, here’s my advice. Send in an application and see where it goes. You could be flying a plane and learning Google analytics in a few short weeks.
