By Angela Bortolussi

Launching into a new school year, classrooms are greeted with new arrivals. Children, especially in their primary years, are heightened with curiosity and excitement. As they transition from coloring books to spelling rules and from playground madness to quiet-time reading, learning may be accompanied by a buddy.

The buddy experience, otherwise known as the ‘buddy system’, is a creative way for children to provide one another with support and encouragement. It’s like the dynamic duo of Batman and Robin.

The essence of the buddy system is a mirror image of what a mentorship entails in adulthood. Entering the workforce, we are expected to adapt to a school-like environment where we are faced with challenges and barriers to learning new things. Yet this time, we are without a buddy to turn to for guidance—unless you have a mentor.

Getting Started on the Mentoring Journey
Keen on trying to find my way in an industry crowded with talent, I sought out my first mentor. As a senior manager of Staffing and Planning, she taught me that a company’s success is dependent on the quality of HR and attracting and retaining qualified employees creates a positive impact on the overall structure in which a company is built on.

Recently, I joined Recruiting Social, a Vancouver-based Recruiting consulting company, founded by Chad MacRae, and found an informal mentoring relationship with Danielle Marchant, a senior recruiter. She taught me where and how to find talent using a multitude of recruitment techniques and the importance behind fostering the candidate experience. In essence, I learned that recruiters do not lead by being institutional, but rather by example; by being human.

Your Mentoring Journey Begins Here
The Human Resources Management Association’s (HRMA) Professional Mentoring Program (PMP) takes a leading role in matching mentors and protégés. PMP is a platform used to develop a learning relationship that accelerates professional development.

This member only program runs from January to June, allowing protégés to gain valuable insight from mentors who have made a blueprint for themselves within the Human Resources industry, while having the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills.

Form your dynamic duo. Explore the benefits of mentoring through HRMA’s Professional Mentoring Program. Application deadline is September 30.

Angela Bortolussi is a recruiter and HR specialist with Recruiting Social, a recruitment agency based in Vancouver and London, with partners in Los Angeles and Dubai.