Enhanced self-knowledge helps you articulate your goals and choose the people whose personality, expertise, and style are best suited to your needs.

To develop a vision of the kinds of mentors you should seek, reflect on others who served as mentors earlier in your life and answer candidly the following questions:

• What kind of mentoring have I received in the past? Was it work-related? School-related? Both?
• Would I describe my past mentoring relationships as collegial ones (as equals or near equals) or apprenticeship ones? What does this difference mean to me now? Which do I prefer at this stage of my professional development?
• What did I find most useful about the mentoring I received? What did I find least useful?
• How does the mentoring I received compare to the kind that others received who were different from me in terms of race, gender, age, ability, or family background?
• How well would the mentoring I received in the past apply to my graduate school circumstances now? How might I need to alter my expectations?
• What kind of mentoring did I not receive earlier that would be particularly helpful to me now?

By answering these questions, you can begin to define the kinds of mentoring you need. Ultimately, your vision will clarify the expectations you have for mentoring (Use Worksheet 1, Your expectations, to help you think about what you expect to gain from a mentoring relationship).