Ten Myths about a Mentoring Career in Entertainment

Webster's dictionary defines a mentor as: 1men·tor Pronunciation: ˈmen-ˌtȯr, -tər Function: noun Etymology: Latin, from Greek Mentōr Date: 1616 1capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son Telemachus2 a: a trusted counselor or guide b: tutor, coach

If you are interested in a career in the entertainment industry - such as wanting to learn how to be a producer or a director, or to learn about a career as a sportscaster, then chances are you will be studying through a mentor program with a working professional as your teacher.

If this is the case then here are ten myths about today's contemporary trends in mentoring - valuable informaiton you will want to know. Whether you want to learn to be a film producer, or need to learn how to be a recording artist, or are interested in a career in radio, learning from an entertainment professional is the best way for you to learn the profession. Some of the myths include:

1) Mentoring is probably the most frequently used method of sharing knowledge in our society worldwide. Those professionals with the what it takes to be a powerful learning influence should mentor. TURE.

Successful mentoring is about both parties receiving benefits. The best mentors are not always people who set out to be mentors. One-on-one, face-to-face mentoring is easier today thanks to the Internet and modern technology. TRUE.

Most professional executives can't afford the time it takes for mentoring. NOT TRUE. Mentoring is about helping someone else learn from you while you are both working. The reality is that it can increase on-the-job performance for both parties as well as provide valuable career opportunities for the student who is trained.

Mentoring actually improves productivity -- through better communication, clarity of goals, planning and commitment. TRUE.

5) Age isn't a factor for mentors, because technology, innovation, and other skills such as the Internet marketing are happening so fast today that often mentors end up training older folks. TRUE.

6) Youth with bad attitudes can't learn by a mentor. NOT TRUE. Most young people often view an older mentor guide with respect, so they will listen and learn.

Today's economy means that learning more will increase your job stability. TRUE.

8) When provided with a vision and purpose combined with skill training and support, adults were more likely to volunteer as a mentor. TRUE.

9) Students do not learn as much in a classroom as they learn while experiencing the job via a mentor. FALSE.

10) Mentoring is one of the most economical, productive and successful forms of teaching students today. TRUE.

As mentors share their experiences, it is clear that taking the student out of the classroom for careers such as film, radio or recording works better. Students who learn while they are on real film sets will learn by doing the job while they learn, one-on-one with a mentor who is a working professional in the area that they want to study.


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Kristin Gabriel works with the Los Angeles film school known as the Entertainment Career Connection, Inc., a fully accredited academic institution certified by the National Private Schools Accreditation Alliance. The Entertainment Career Connection schools provide educational apprentice programs for film, radio, television and the music recording industries in more than 100 cities in 50 states.