10 Reasons to Join Mentoring Pathways

Registration for the 2022 Mentoring Pathways program is open until 5:00 PM on December 31, 2021.

Here are the Top Ten reasons why you should join Mentoring Pathways!

1. New to the A/E/C Industry

“Mentoring Pathways provided a supportive environment where I could gain skills, learn more about professional services marketing, and connect one-on-one with senior professionals in the field. I highly recommend it to anyone early in their career who is looking to grow in this field.”
- Andre Morand (Protege)

2. Advance Your Career

“On top of having access to an array of impressive A/E/C industry professionals to bounce ideas off and share knowledge, Mentoring Pathways helped me identify my career goals and develop a plan to achieve them. I left each meeting feeling encouraged and empowered, whether from meeting one-on-one with mentors, attending a workshop, or listening to an inspiring speaker. I highly encourage anyone on the fence about signing up to take the leap and make the investment in yourself!” 
- Emily McAtee (Protege)

3. Switch Specialization (i.e., generalist to communications professional or marketer to business development professional)

“Are you at a crossroads in your career and not sure how to make a shift in your trajectory? As a mentor, I was able to help my protege develop goals and a plan, guide her through difficult conversations with her manager, and ultimately helped her make a significant shift in her career.”
- Nicole La, CPSM (Mentor)

4. Discover SMPS Volunteer Opportunities

“Mentoring Pathways was the first program I joined at SMPS ten years ago. It led me to volunteering in different roles for the Chapter, joining the Board, and now serving as its President!”
- Shannon Daggett, CPSM (Protege)

5. Staying Connected

“In our current virtual or hybrid work world, where having a seat at the table requires either a mask or a video camera, marketing professionals have to do things differently to advance their careers. Whether it’s enhancing or promoting their skills internally or seeking new opportunities in the industry externally, working one-on-one with a mentor provides alternative perspectives, new options for connecting, and overall career support.”
- Hildegard Dodd (Mentor)

6. Extending Your Reach Within the A/E/C Community

“Most people look to a mentoring program to expand their mind and education. An added bonus is the access you gain to the vast network of SMPS. Our mentors are connected within the A/E/C industry from coast-to-coast and border-to-border.“
- Marion Thatch, FSMPS (Mentor)

7. Skill Development

“My mentor really helped me redefine my professional goals by guiding and coaching me on tangible skills and strategies, resulting in a renewed excitement for my career in the A/E/C industry.”
- Yuhi Aizawa Combatti, Senior Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager—AGC of California (Protege)

8. Educational Presentations

“As a mentor myself, and one of the program organizers, I am consistently blown away by the dedication our presenters have to encouraging and training the proteges in the program. The quality and relevancy of the content is so rich that all participants learn new and applicable skills from the program.”
- Justin Nagy, CPSM (Mentor)

9. Defining Your Role Within Your Firm

“Mentoring Pathways addresses the most prevalent challenges marketers face. Through skill building, knowledge transfer, counseling, and guidance we build up the confidence and professionalism of proteges, setting them up to articulate what marketing is and does and commanding respect within their firms.”
- Susie Smith, CPSM (Mentor, 2017-2018)

10. Aligning Your Personal Values with Your Career

“While in Mentoring Pathways, I learned to self-reflect and discovered that learning is one of my core values. I was able to find a position with a company that aligned with my core values and that feeds into my passion of learning and growing to be the best version of myself that I can be. Also supporting my love of learning was studying to get my CPSM certification, which I did during Mentoring Pathways.”
- Nicole Medina, CPSM (Protege)