Signs You Might Not Be Cut Out for Youth Mentoring (Yet!)

Let's be honest - youth mentoring isn't for everyone. While we all fancy ourselves as wise guides ready to transform young lives, some of us might need to work on ourselves first. As someone who's seen it all in youth mentoring, let me share some serious red flags that suggest you might want to hold off on mentoring young people.

The Definition First

Youth Mentoring is a multi-disciplinary practice where a young person is safely guided by a trusted person who has a set of qualities and more experience in a particular area, using mentoring tools and techniques to support them in overcoming barriers to progression, navigating life, and achieving chosen actions and goals.

Now, the Warning Signs:

1. You're More Judgy Than a Reality TV Show Panel If you find yourself tutting at young people's music choices or rolling your eyes at their career aspirations to become a YouTuber, you might need to check yourself. Nothing kills a mentoring relationship faster than judgement disguised as "wisdom."
2. Your Cultural Understanding Stops at Chicken Tikka Masala If you think diversity means having watched "Black Panther" twice, you might need to expand your cultural horizons. Young people come from various backgrounds, and "but this is how we did it in my day" doesn't cut it anymore.
3. Your Own Life is More Chaotic Than a Teenager's Bedroom Still figuring out how to adult? That's okay! But if you're consistently missing appointments, procrastinating worse than a student before exams, and your own goals are gathering dust like that gym membership card, maybe sort that out first.
4. Your Network is Smaller Than Your Netflix Watch List If your professional network consists of your mum's friend who once worked at a bank, you might need to expand your connections before offering to help others with their career journey.
5. You're Still Wrestling With Your Own Demons If you find yourself getting triggered by young people's stories or projecting your unresolved issues onto their situations, it's therapy time, mate! You can't guide others through emotional landscapes you haven't mapped yourself.
6. You Think Feedback is Something That Happens to Microphones If the last time you asked for feedback was never, and you treat training sessions like they're optional extras, you might not be ready for the continuous learning journey that is youth mentoring.
7. You've Got a Fixed Mindset Stronger Than Superglue If you believe "that's just how things are" and "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," you might struggle to help young people see possibilities beyond their current circumstances.
8. Your Approach is More Single-Track Than a One-Direction Album Youth mentoring requires a multi-disciplinary approach. If you think every problem can be solved with the same solution, you're in for a shock.

5 Steps to Becoming a Better Youth Mentor:

1. Get Your House in Order Start with yourself. Work through your own challenges, set and achieve some goals, and get comfortable with personal development. You can't pour from an empty cup, as they say!
2. Expand Your Horizons Read widely, learn about different cultures, engage with diverse communities, and build a genuine understanding of the challenges young people face today. Yes, that means actually learning what TikTok is.
3. Build Your Network Develop meaningful professional relationships, not just LinkedIn connections. You never know when a young person might need that contact in the creative industries or that friend who works in tech.
4. Embrace Learning Attend training sessions, seek feedback, reflect on your practice, and be willing to adapt your approach. The youth mentoring world changes faster than phone models - keep up!
5. Deal With Your Baggage We all have trauma and issues to work through. Get professional help if needed, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and practice self-awareness. Your unresolved issues shouldn't become a young person's problem.

Remember, recognising that you're not ready to mentor isn't a failure - it's actually the first step to becoming a great mentor in the future. Youth mentoring is a serious responsibility, and young people deserve mentors who are committed to their own growth and development.

And hey, if you've read this far and are feeling a bit called out - good! That self-awareness is exactly what you need to start your journey toward becoming an effective youth mentor. Just remember: the goal isn't to be perfect, it's to be genuine, prepared, and committed to continuous improvement.

Training Opportunities

Complete one of our many training opportunities to reflect on your youth mentoring practice and explore the dynamic world of youth mentoring.

Click here to explore our training or book yourself in on a Training Info Session here.