Are you embarking on a nutrition career journey and seeking guidance on how to navigate the path ahead? Whether you're starting your first career or transitioning to a new one, the initial steps can sometimes feel overwhelming. This is where the power of mentorship can make ALL the difference to your career growth and success!
After navigating a number of career changes myself, I’ve experienced both a lack of mentorship and the transformative impact of having a supportive mentor or mentorship team can make in confidence building, personal development, career growth and success.
As a recent graduate with a master’s in nutrition, I had ZERO clinical experience and no idea what to expect from nutrition mentorship. I was starting from the ground up. As I entered into my CNS supervised practice experience, I had no idea what to expect. What I learned about nutrition, myself and mentorship was no less than life-changing; building confidence, fostering personal development, and propelling my career forward.
Key Takeaways on the Power of Mentorship.
Understanding
CNS Mentors who have walked a similar path offer a deep level of understanding both of where you are and what you need to move forward. Their shared experiences enable meaningful connections and facilitate open communication, allowing mentees to seek guidance, ask questions, and embrace learning opportunities. Feeling understood on a deeper level, enabled both personal and professional development. I grew as a nutritionist and built confidence as a clinician as well as with the logistics of seeing clients and managing a private practice.
Meeting YOU where you are
A good mentor will meet you where you are and recognize the needs and starting point of each mentee. In my case that was certainly very true. As a very green clinician, they supported me with all the basics and helped me grow from there. Constantly challenging me along the way to take my practice, and myself, to the next level.
Collaboration
Working in a collaborative environment with multiple clinicians and different mentors provides a breadth of different experiences and varied perspectives and approaches. Through collaboration, mentees gain valuable experience in client interaction, nutrition practice management, and building professional relationships, shaping their own unique style and approach as they go.
Lifelong Learning
Perhaps one of the most profound “aha’s” during my mentorship was the humility of the lifelong learners in the functional and integrative space. Until then, I had never heard a doctor say, “I don’t know, let’s think it through together”. The idea that we don’t have to have all the answers all the time, was incredibly freeing. Being open to learning, asking questions and leading with humility was a lesson I will embrace for my lifetime!
Community
During my CNS mentorship, I built an incredible community of support. Having a group of colleagues and like-minded individuals to bounce ideas off, learn from and support one another was perhaps the most valuable gift of mentorship after all - especially for a solo clinician. Not to mention being a great source of nutrition jobs and connections! Years and years later, I still have this professional community for ideas, referrals and even commiseration. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
Mentorship is a powerful catalyst for career growth as a CNS nutritionist AND for personal development. It enables you to gain valuable insights, support, and resources to navigate your nutrition career journey with confidence and success.
Karen Herb
MS CNS LDN IFMCP
BCNS Supervisor
CNS Mentor