Developmental Goals and Experiences for Mentoring

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I have written extensively on the value of mentoring, both as a mentor and a mentee (here and here for Fraud Magazine and here for the ACFE Blog). Throughout my career, my journey has been positively influenced by so many wonderful people—both through formal mentoring programs and informal mentors.

One question I often get is about how a mentee can gain experience to be able to obtain the requisite knowledge and work history to gain a position in the fraud, investigation, or law enforcement profession. Some are from students who are looking for their first career position after college, while others are transitioning from one industry to another, or rejoining the workforce after having a family or helping older parents. Those who are in the field may be interested in moving into supervisory or leadership positions, which also come with different experiential requirements.

This is where a mentoring relationship can be extraordinarily valuable; the mentor can be a sounding board for possible options related to your career. Here are some ideas that can help the mentee and mentor collaborate on developing goals and specific experiences that can be helpful for mentees as they travel on their career journey. The list is not all inclusive, but rather a starting point for brainstorming or discussions.

·         Motivating and tracking progress on taking the certification exams;

·         Exploring career options in various roles, such as government, non-profit, self-employment, or industry;

·         Identifying relevant career or skill trainings or educational courses to enhance or supplement existing skill sets;

·         Providing resources and discussing “lessons learned” from various engagements, investigations, or casework;

·         Identifying future career moves, including lateral or cross-functional roles, supervisory or leadership roles, or geographic changes;

·         Becoming involved in the local chapter of a professional association;

·         Writing an article for major publications or blogs, such as Police Chief, Fraud Magazine, the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Sheriff and Deputy, and Standards and Training Director Magazine, among many others;

·         Teaching or developing a course on a topic that interests you or you have expertise in;

·         Helping to manage a project that identifies, addresses, and breaks-down larger challenges into smaller, easier forms to tackle effectively and provides value to an organization or workplace;

·         Reviewing a resume or cover letter for a specific job;

·         Promoting networking and introductions to other relevant professionals in the mentor’s personal network;

·         Identifying interests in emerging or advanced areas of the profession that will have a bearing, such as technology or social trends, legal issues, operational postures, or evidence-based improvements.

These are all excellent starting points for a good discussion between mentor and mentee. 


Photos: NGA, Attributed to Giorgione, Giovanni Borgherini and His Tutor. The inscription on the scroll is translated from Latin: "Talent has no worth unless accomplishment follows" 



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