Mentors who matter: building support for LGBTQ+ career growth - webinar recap

myGwork's WorkFair 2025 continued with a vital discussion on mentorship, in the webinar 'Mentors Who Matter: Building Support for LGBTQ+ Career Growth.' The panel delved into the nuances of effective mentorship for LGBTQ+ talent, emphasizing the importance of finding guidance that affirms identity, and supports personal and professional goals.

As the panelists discussed, a critical first step is identifying where to find affirming mentors. Explore LGBTQ+ professional organizations, employee resource groups, and industry networks. When approaching potential mentors, be clear about your goals and what you hope to gain from the relationship.

Setting clear expectations is also paramount. Establish a regular cadence for meetings, define the scope of the mentorship (e.g., career advice, skills development, networking), and communicate your needs and boundaries openly.

The panel also highlighted the value of diverse mentorship models beyond traditional one-on-one relationships. Consider peer mentoring, where you learn alongside colleagues, reverse mentoring, where you gain insights from more junior professionals, and community-led mentoring, which draws on the collective wisdom of LGBTQ+ networks.

Adam Cartledge of RX Global stressed the importance of a supportive pace, stating, "Seek mentors who have the patience and the right understanding to go at your pace. That's the whole point of the relationship. Remember, it's for your benefit and your development."

Vinicius Mercado of Marsh McLennan highlighted the value of perspective, noting, “Being able to see things from a different perspective, from someone who has a better or a longer experience in the field that you have, helps to build your own professional self."

Annalisa Lester of The Trade Desk emphasized the importance of holistic support, saying, "An effective mentor isn't just sermonizing about what you should be doing with your life. They're interested in you as a person, in totality.”

Bright Mkhize from JTI spoke to the power of recognizing potential, stating, “It is very important to have people that will identify your potential. When you work with them, you can have the same vision about yourself.”

James Read of Pfizer cautioned against unbalanced relationships, advising, "Beware mentoring that invites you to only listen to how successful somebody else is. You should feel also able to just articulate a question about your ‘how’ and ‘when’ within that relationship."