Why mentorship is vital for the future of physics

A couple of months ago I wrote about whether it’s possible to teach the art of entrepreneurship or if it’s a skill that’s innate to individuals. My article led to some invaluable feedback, notably from one reader who said that, yes, of course it can be taught. Not, they said, from formal lectures but mainly through mentoring by people who’ve learned the art of entrepreneurship themselves.

That idea got me thinking about the wider benefit of “giving back” one’s experience to others who could gain from that wisdom. All professional scientists and engineers will have benefited at one time or another from the generous guidance of other people – be they teachers, lecturers, or work colleagues. So perhaps we should think about how we can do the same.

The value of a professional interaction, however small, should not be overlooked

It’s easy to imagine our lives are so inconsequential that we have nothing to teach – and even if we do have something to say, we certainly haven’t got the time to tell others about it. But the value of a professional interaction, however small, should not be overlooked. A timely moment at any career stage can make all the difference to an individual’s professional impact and future success. The scope of opportunity for giving back is broad.

Volunteering and internships

In my experience, local schools are always grateful for career guidance from professionals. Staff at my company, for example, often give career talks at their children’s schools. We take part in events such as assemblies, career evenings or careers weeks and we are currently keen to provide work experience for 16- and 17-year-olds in year 12. If we go ahead, I am sure pupils will be eager to snap opportunities up.

I have also seen the benefit of scientists and engineers developing videos, workbooks and other materials for primary-school children to learn about concepts in science and technology. It is important to make an impact at the earliest possible stage, which is where the talent pipeline starts. Once students are in their teens and have made their subject choices, it becomes hard – if not impossible – to influence them.

Internships are another great way of giving back. For the last eight years, I have been running a data-science internship programme at GE – and I just wish I’d started it sooner. Initially, we offered summer-long placements, but after a year we added year-long roles to the mix. I will be honest, colleagues were hugely sceptical about how much value these roles would bring, but their worry proved unfounded.

The vast majority of our interns have been extremely productive under our guidance and, after finishing, have gone on to secure graduate positions within GE or other tech firms. It’s vital, however, that interns are properly supported. As well as being given comprehensive induction and training, interns must be part of an established project team, whose members are always on hand to give guidance, answer questions, and provide the interns with clear tasks and goals.

It’s also important to set expectations of professionalism when at work. We are fortunate in GE that interns are taken on as regular employees and so have access to a wide range of employee and company benefits. Interns therefore find it easier to feel part of the company and adopt its ethos. Remember too, that the benefits work both ways. Interns bring you new perspectives and fresh ideas, while also keeping the rest of the team stimulated.

Professional societies and professorships

Being a member of a professional body is also a great way to give back to the community. The Institute of Physics (IOP), for example, has an active volunteer community, along with special interest groups and regional and national branches that are all run by member volunteers, with help from IOP staff. Becoming an IOP volunteer also gives you the chance to influence and help shape the physics community.

By meeting like-minded colleagues, you can build your network and give back to the community at the same time

You could, for example, get involved with running lectures, seminars, webinars and career outreach events. By meeting like-minded colleagues, you can build your network and give back to the community at the same time. There are some great examples, notably Deborah Phelps, a physicist in engineering who ended up launching the IOP’s girl-guiding badge.

For more experienced industrialists, another way to give back is to become a visiting professor. Being fortunate enough to hold such a position myself, they let you go back to university and share your knowledge and experience with current students. It’s invaluable for universities too, allowing students to learn what real-life careers look like and what skills they might need beyond the technical knowledge gained during a degree.

Visiting professorships tend to be awarded by directly by universities. But competitive awards exist too. The Royal Academy of Engineering, for example, runs a scheme that brings engineers, entrepreneurs, consultants and other industry insiders into UK universities to boost undergraduate engineering education. Covering areas that would appeal to physicists, such as energy, materials and electronics, the scheme lets experts deliver face-to-face teaching, mentoring and curriculum development for three years.

The Royal Society, meanwhile, runs an entrepreneur-in-residence scheme that’s been taken up by people like Fiona Riddich, who originally studied maths and physics before joining the energy industry. She’s mentored students at the University of Edinburgh and developed a project called Energy@Edinburgh to raise awareness of researchers’ work, promote interdisciplinary exchange, grow staff understanding of the energy market, and encourage innovation and translation of research.

I have only scratched the surface of what can be done for the good of our scientific and engineering community, but there is plenty of opportunity and few, if any, barriers to entry. I can’t emphasise enough the importance of doing this, especially for growing our pipeline of technical breakthroughs and developing talented people for the future.

My challenge to you is to tell your colleagues what you’re already doing to “give back” – and why. And if you’re doing nothing to give back, now is the perfect time to get started.

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