Ask your mentor to tell a story from his or her career. Some questions to consider:
How did you land your current role?
My boss Katie was my supervisor at another facility, and came to Imperial Plaza when she was offered her job there and within a month or two the head of this department I am in now wanted to switch jobs and Katie reached out to me and recommended me as someone she felt was a good fit for this job and as you can see I was offered it and am now here. I will have been here for 5 years in September.
Think back to five years ago. Did you envision this is where you would be?
No, I was working in assisted living in the memory care unit and had 16 residents at the time and even when my old boss or coworker called about the new job and got to telling me about how I would have 100 or more residents instead of just 16 I was a little discouraged and lacking the confidence. My confidence level was not high and I had gotten comfortable in memory care so I was not sure if I wanted to make such a huge change after not being out of school but for just a little over a year.
Can you tell me about a time when you had a difficult boss?
How did you handle it? Yes, was not a direct boss of mine. Main ways to handle it was if they asked me to do something and even if it won’t a priority I would still make it a priority and try to get it done as fast as I could. I also learned to keep my head down and do my job to the best of my ability.
How did you learn to embrace failure?
I developed a mindset, well in a sense was raised with this mindset that failure is part of the process and a normal part of life. Failure is the main way to learn, and having the mindset of failing is how I will grow. When I face failure I say I should have done that differently. Then I don’t do it again and move on from it. My supervisor really has been about that and teaching me to embrace the failure cause it will make you a better CTRS and person one day. I have to learn to not to be so self- critical about myself.
What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned and how is it valuable?
Everybody is different. Cater the way to react to them in a way those woks for them. Communication is key for anyone and each person may require a different way to communicate with them.
Tell me about a recent setback and how you recovered?
Coronavirus, because of everything going on I had to redo calendar and to communicate with families in a whole new way cause they can’t come to visit so they do video calls on IPads. This pandemic also challenged organizational skills and time management skills for myself because everything is not normal and we have all different schedules. I have had to really use the team to help implement activities and keep the residents engaged. We have really had to think outside the box.
Identify a challenging situation and share it with the mentor. Ask your mentor to act as a sounding board. Some questions to consider:
The challenging situation I chose is when I become a certified therapeutic recreation specialist and I am switching jobs to a new agency or just getting my first job at an agency.
I’m considering a career transition. What do you see as the pros and cons?
Pros: change of pace, different perspective or outlook on things. Cons: feeling of going in blind, may be difficult if you don’t like change, learning curve may be harsh
Who are the people I need to align with in this organization to achieve success?
Any recreation therapist, align and educate supervisor if they don’t have same mindset as you or may not be a certified recreational therapist, any other ally you may have at the facility like other therapist or nurses who understand, and if you are a manager the people who answer to you are also good ones to align with.
What advice can you offer on how to progress in my career?
You should always keep learning. You should keep your CTRS up to date so you don’t have to get relicensed. You should go to conferences and classes with the area you work in so you stay up to date on things like new procedures. You should stay connected within the profession and most importantly challenge yourself in all aspects of this career.
How do you successfully stay connected to key influencers who do not work in same office or geographical area?
You can do so by attending conferences when they are offered. You can always social network with other CTRS. You can join VASTRA which is a good source as well. You can also keep in touch with faculty at Longwood.
When trying to gain buy-in to implement a new program, what tactics have worked for you?
You should have research to back yourself up. You should get buy in from the residents first or spin off of the resident’s ideas so you have interest and the program will not crumble in the first week. You should have solutions in your back pocket for if the first idea falls through. You should also get staff buy in. I would recommend reaching out to other agencies who have a similar or same exact group and get facts on how they set it up and the cost and specific details that would be pertinent to your pitch.
Where do you see my strengths and what should I focus on to improve?
You need to be more assertive and speak up more in any instance. You are good at making lasting connections with people and are a very well rounded person as well as in populations for this field because of your preliminary field work hours. You should build up your confidence and perfect your implementing ability. You are very organized. You should be more hands on and get more experience being in a leadership role. You should step out of your comfort zone and be more confident in communication with anyone. You should learn how to avoid an issue or redirect an issue when confrontation arises in the workplace or even in life in general.
What do you see as some of my blind spots?
You may not realize how your shyness or quietness may come off to somebody else or how they view it because to you the shyness or quietness is normal. You have a lack of confidence when it comes to implementing or having leadership and being more assertive.
How do you think others perceive me?
Quiet, peacemaker, caring, rule follower, family is important to you.
How do you approach risk-taking?
Cautiously, I don’t tend to be a risk-taker. I get pointers and knowledge from someone who made the mistake before me and has learned from it. You do research so you have something to justify or back up what you. You do not jump right in feet first you should take it slow.
What new skills do I need to move ahead?
You should have a greater understanding of the population and diagnosis at the agency or any agency you work at. You independently implement programs for the population or unit. Have skills in communication, in general with clear and concise details so the person you are conversing with better understands. You should develop strong time management and organization skills to make the job easy and flow smoothly. You should find a system that works for you now so you can improve it as time goes on into the career. Practice and improve written communication especially when documenting or sending emails to others.
How can I become a more assertive negotiator?
You can be willing to hear both sides without being bias to either one person. You can get details from other people who were around at the time to get the full story. You should take into consideration on where the people stand in the situation. You should make it a win win for everyone involved in the negotiation. Research and have a strong case along with backup solutions for if questions arise or one thing falls through but you still feel strongly about an idea.
How can I become better at managing people who do not report to me?
You can educate them on why you are doing what you are doing. You can see it from their point of view to better understand their reasoning for the action. You can explain it is the policy of the agency and that it how you were told to handle it. You can also use a higher authority if needed for back up or for clarification if the person still does not believe you. You advocate for the resident so they get the best treatment and no issues arise from wrongful care.
Mentor Interview Blog Post
1. What are the two most important “take-aways” that I learned from my mentor during the discussion?
After conducting my interview with my mentor, I was able to learn a lot more about my mentor and her experiences in the field. Even though it was tough for me to narrow down the two most important “take-aways” from the interview, I was able to select two I thought would give me the most beneficial outcome within my future career as a CTRS. One take-away I got from the conversation with my mentor is to embrace failure. My mentor was raised with the mindset that failure is a part of any process and can be a normal obstacle in life. She said “failure is the main way to learn and having a mindset of failing is the way you will grow in the career and in life.” (A. Mesa, personal communication, June 8, 2020) When facing failure you see the wrong way of doing something and are given a second chance to do it a new way, a better way, and the way you will be successful. The second take-away I got from the interview is that you should stay connected and keep in touch with fellow CTRS and peers you graduated with. You should also keep in contact with the Longwood Therapeutic Recreation staff because they can be an asset for you later on down the road and also people you can turn to when you need advice or an opinion on an idea or program. Maybe you just need someone to bounce ideas off of and they can be the prime person for that as well. My mentor stated “Being networked in the field is a good way to enhance your knowledge and your career for better opportunities in the future.” (A. Mesa, personal communication, June 8, 2020) To add to the connection and networking as a CTRS you should also challenge yourself in all aspects of your career as it will make you a better recreational therapist and help you to build on your career and the programs you offer at your agency that could add to the benefit of the clients.
2. What are the two most surprising things that I learned about my mentor?
While talking with my mentor, I was able to learn more about her experiences in the field as well as lots of good advice I can use within my future career. One of the surprising things that I learned about my mentor is where she happened to go to college at. My mentor stated “I happened to attend the same college as you; I too went to Longwood University.” (A. Mesa, personal communication, June 8, 2020) Through my many hours of volunteering at a number of different agencies it amazes me at the number of CTRS’s that are Longwood alumni of the Therapeutic Recreation program and followed the same path I am on and now ended up in the positions they did. The second surprising fact that I learned about my mentor is that we both have the same interest in working with the older adult’s population, preferably assisted living, long term care, and memory care units. It is neat to have someone I can learn so much from about the population I wish to work with in the future and how much knowledge I will have going in to a career because of all I will have learned in this internship. I feel like I will be so much more prepared for the population because I have observed and dipped my toe in a bit during the internship. My mentor stated “you should have a better understanding of the population and the diagnosis at the agency or any agency you work at.” (A. Mesa, personal communication, June 8, 2020)
3. What is the most impressive thing that I learned about my mentor?
Throughout the duration of the interview, there were many impressive aspects of my mentor. However, one of the most impressive things that I learned about my mentor was how her and her agency went about handling the coronavirus when it hit because it was a setback for her and the agency. My mentor stated “This pandemic challenged my organizational and time management skills because everything was not normal and with everyone on different schedules it was hard to plan according to the staff you had available.” (A. Mesa, personal communication, June 8, 2020) With the hitting of this pandemic they had to redo the calendar because they could not hold or do all the activities they usually would. In the midst of this families were not allowed to visit loved ones so they had to get iPads and Zoom or FaceTime with the loved one’s families and that required timed slots for the staff to be available to observe the call. In the midst of this she really had to use her team to help with the implementing of activities because with things like Bingo they were playing it in the hall and needed three people to the normal one and each floor was a different day for Bingo so all got to play. This required them to think outside of the box more than anything so they could still keep the residents engaged in leisure during the day. This was a very unexpected setback but they took what they had and they rolled with it and I think they are doing an amazing job at thinking on the fly like a CTRS should be able to do.
4. After reviewing and reflecting on my conversation with my mentor, what greater insights have I gained about myself, my perception of this internship and my mentor?
After the conclusion of my interview with my mentor, I have had time to reflect on the conversation we had. Some of the greater insights that I have learned about myself is the importance of improving my communication skills overall through the next 8 weeks. Due to the change of things, being the internship is remote, my success in this will rely greatly on my communication skills between my mentor, my professor, and my peers. Along with this I will need to be able to successfully reply in a timely manner as our assignments and tasks have due dates. Another great insight I learned about myself is to always challenge yourself for it helps you to grow and expand your knowledge and skill level as you progress in the field and even at the agency you will be working at.In regards to my perception of the internship, I feel a lot more confident now that I have been able to talk to my mentor. Even though I won’t be so hands on like I would have with the on-site internship I still feel I will learn a lot and gain a lot of knowledge about TR in general, the job of a CTRS and most importantly working with older adults, for that is the population I plan on working with in the future. Also with this internship I will be able to improve skills I have been working on so when I do go on internship next year and even enter the work force those skills will be even more developed. Overall, I am more excited about the internship process now that I am more aware of what I am expected to do and that my mentor is there to guide me through it all. Lastly, in regards to my mentor, I learned it is crucial to build a rapport with not only my mentor but my professor, residents, and peers. I also learned it is better to network throughout the field and with all CTRS you can because you can really benefit from the networking and the social connection. It is also good for when you have questions or need a second opinion on something to have someone with similar knowledge of the major to be an asset to you in those instances. Communication is key in this major and job career. My mentor stated “Everybody is different. Cater the way to react to them in a way those woks for them. Communication is key for anyone and each person may require a different way to communicate with them.” (A. Mesa, personal communication, June 8, 2020) Overall, after the concluding of the interview, I am a lot more excited about this remote internship experience and I am looking forward to all the knowledge I will obtain in these next 8 weeks.
Criteria for Success: Rubric
Interview Questions
The student identified 3 questions from each of the 4 types of mentor questions from the link provided to ask their mentor. Total of 12 questions.
Interview
The student scheduled and conducted a synchronized, live interview with their mentor asking all 12 questions.
Blog Post
The student utilized the question prompts from the assignment pane along with the information gleaned from the mentor interview to write a blog post. The student posted it in the correct location in their blog.
Mentor Approval
The students mentor reviewed the student’s work against the rubric provided and approved their work as complete.
Approved.