Abstract

Decades of research has revealed a range of benefits available to mentored graduate school students: development of professional skills and identity, procurement of internship and training opportunities, enhanced satisfaction with training, higher salaries, and greater career satisfaction. Further, some researchers have argued that identifying a mentor should be considered a major milestone in one’s early career and is essential for graduate school success. Despite this evidence, an estimated thirty to fifty percent of all graduate students report not being mentored. Few studies identify characteristics that contribute to a mutually beneficial mentor-mentee relationship. In addition, empirical methods used to measure overall level of satisfaction with regards to a mentor-mentee relationship are scant to nonexistent. This article will explore salient characteristics (e.g., personality traits and behavioral patterns) that maximize or minimize the mentor-mentee relationship, as well as methods to assess the working relationship. Interventions to enhance the mentor-mentee relationship will be further explored.