Dr Linda E Cammish has 25+ years experience in the life science sector, a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and an MBA from Henley Business College. After 20+ years working in commercial environments she set up Lindaction Ltd to offer independent business consultancy services.
Linda heard about MentorSET via Cambridge AWISE and volunteered to become a mentor.
"I feel I would have really valued having a mentor in my early career," says Linda, who feels she lacked opportunities in her early career to discuss her future prospects with senior, more experienced, women. "I hope that now I might be able to provide mentees with the benefits of some of my experiences and hindsight."
MentorSET expects mentors to support one mentee at a time but Linda kindly volunteered to help additional mentees and is now supporting three MentorSET mentees. The first partnership began more than a year ago, the second a short time afterwards while the third started recently. Linda has found that each partnership differs in the method of communication, frequency of meetings and the issues discussed. On average the pairs communicate every couple of months.
The support required by each of the mentees also varies according to the issues faced and their needs. Examples include a mentee having difficulty making a work related decision. The pair discussed options and potential outcomes enabling the mentee to make an informed decision. Another example was a mentee who was very stressed at work. The pair discussed out-of-work activities that would enable the mentee to relax and meet new people. On another occasion, a mentee had had problems communicating with certain colleagues. Helping the mentee to think about the reasons for these difficulties and why it was problematic was the first step to overcoming this issue. The pair then discussed alternative ways of talking with, and approaching these colleagues. When appropriate, Linda has helped the mentees to draw up action plans and the pair has checked that the actions are both realistic and achievable.
While Linda has had to set time aside to support the three mentees, she feels that the advantages far outweigh any thoughts she may have had about the time it has taken. Getting to know the mentees and seeing them benefiting is very rewarding for Linda. She has seen their self confidence and self awareness increase and watched as they have carried out the actions discussed in the mentoring meetings with very constructive outcomes. Linda has received very positive feedback which she finds very gratifying. "Some mentees have expressed surprise that they have gained things that they never expected to get from this type of relationship," she says, "and it has helped them to really crystallise their thoughts into manageable and achievable activities and goals."
Being a MentorSET mentor has been an enjoyable experience for Linda. "I get tremendous satisfaction and pleasure from feeling that I may, in some small way, be helping mentees by sharing my experiences and providing objective feedback in a way that I may have benefited from myself in my early career. I believe MentorSET is a very effective way to help women progress in their careers and thoroughly endorse the scheme."