Mentoring works best when it is understood as a network rather than a one-to-one arrangement. Academic career paths at all stages require many kinds of support over time, and relying on a single mentor can create unnecessary pressure and unmet expectations. A network model invites more intentional questions: What kind of support is needed right now, and who is well-positioned to offer it? This allows mentoring relationships, including assigned ones, to be valuable without being expected to solve everything. At the bottom of this page, you will find example resources to grow your network at Berkeley.
Mentorship Network Map
A mentorship network map is a simple way to make your support network visible. It prompts you to name the categories of support you rely on (academic, professional, and well-being), then identify mentors that fill each category. At any stage, use this map to assess what’s strong, what’s missing, and where you might diversify support. As a mentor, use this map with your mentees to not only normalize and validate the idea that seeking multiple mentors is expected (and healthy), but to clarify your role in their network.
How to use the mentor map
Start by reading through the map and the descriptions for each category. Start by asking yourself, “What does each area of need look like for me and who do I turn to for each type of support?” You might also notice which categories feel unfamiliar to you as areas of support and which areas feel like they make the most impact in your life. In the center of the map is a category for “Other Support” – use this as space to identify a type of support that is important to you that is not listed here. Then, fill in the map with names of people that you turn to for the different types of support. This may take more than one attempt to fill in; many people find that filling out this map takes more time than they think it will.
Once you've filled it in, reflect on each of the following questions:
- Does one name appear many times?
- Am I overly relying on one person for a multitude of different needs?
- Do some areas have one or no names?
- Are there areas in which I need more support?
- Who do I know that I could reach out to for specific support?
- Who can I tentatively add to my map and make a plan to connect with?
Lastly, note two gaps: an area where you have no support, and an area where your support is too concentrated on one person. Then, make a plan to reach out to an existing or potential mentor on your map to ask for support in one or both of these areas. Using the map to visualize your network helps you turn “will you be my mentor?” into concrete, actionable questions like “how often should I be collaborating?”
Using the map as a mentor
As a mentor, offer this map to your mentees, along with the definitions and instructions above for completing it. Suggest that after they fill it out on their own time, you discuss where you fit into their map, i.e., what types of support they want or expect from you. Using the map with your mentee explicitly reduces the pressure for you to meet all of their needs. When mentees request something outside of the scope of your particular mentoring relationship, you can help them identify someone else who could support them. Over time, this helps mentees practice identifying needs, making specific requests, and building a more resilient set of supports beyond any single mentoring relationship.
Asking the Right Questions
When we transition into a new role, a new responsibility, or a new place, we often don’t know what we don’t know. Many of the questions we should be asking are part of the unwritten rules of academia, so it can be difficult to know where to start. It can help to have a set of concrete, specific questions to guide you. We’ve created lists for three different audiences (undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty) to reflect the expectations and experiences at each stage.
Asking Good Questions
Using these questions for yourself
Start by scanning through the list and noticing what stands out. Which questions resonate with you? Which ones surface things you hadn’t yet considered? Use these questions as starting points for conversations with mentors in your network.
Using these questions with your mentees
There are a few ways to use these lists in your mentoring practice. One approach is to review them yourself and identify questions that are both common and important for your mentees’ success. You might then build this information into lab agreements, mentorship compacts, or other orientation materials.
Another approach is to share the list directly with a mentee and invite them to review it as outlined above. They may come back with questions you can’t answer—this is a valuable moment to help them identify others in their network who can.
Growing your Network at Berkeley
Networks change over time, and here at Berkeley, there are many spaces and programs across campus designed to help you get mentorship specific to your needs. Below are a few examples of opportunities to meet and cultivate mentorship relationships, separated for students, postdocs, and faculty.
Graduate Students
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Berkeley Discovery Hubs (also for undergrads)
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Beyond Academia (also for postdocs)