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New
England Chapter
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Fall 1995 Conference Presentation
Mentor/Trainee Relationships
September 21, 1995
by Marilyn Rowland
| There are no established guidelines for mentor/trainee relationships
in the field of indexing. In fact, there are probably as many models for
mentor/trainee relationships as there are mentor/trainee relationships.
Some models are more successful than others, but the definition of success
depends in large part on what you are seeking. What is appropriate depends
on the experience, needs, and working style of you and the person with
whom you work. Some of the basic types of mentor/trainee relationships are discussed below. You may find yourself inventing your own version, or using a combination of these methods. At least initially, you may find a lot more questions than answers. If you want to make a mentor/trainee relationship work, keep trying, stay in touch with others in mentor/trainee relationships and learn from your experiences. |
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| Employer/Assistant Model | This model is probably the most prevalent. In an Employer/Assistant
relationship, an experienced indexer hires a person or persons primarily
because her/his business has expanded and s/he needs help in meeting deadlines.
The employer would prefer to hire assistants than to turn down work. Usually
the experienced indexer marks up the page proofs indicating entries and
subentries, and the assistant types in the entries, exactly as designated.
The assistant may be a full- or part-time employee who works regularly
or exclusively for the employer, a contract employee, or a freelancer
who works only occasionally for the employer. Technically, this is not a mentor/trainee relationship because the employer indexer is not offering training apart from showing the assistant how to enter the terms correctly and how to use indexing software, and the assistant is often content to be a typist with no desire to become an independent indexer. Sometimes, however, assistants become interested in indexing and go on to become indexers themselves. The time they have spent working for an experienced indexer has served as training for them. Issues:
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| Informal Training | Many experienced indexers offer advice and informal training to beginning
indexers on a limited basis. Often no money is exchanged. Training may
range from answering questions related to indexing and how to get started
in indexing, to reviewing completed indexes, to helping trainees find
work as indexers. Much free advice is available via online services or
through the Internet. This is not usually one-on-one training, but may
develop into one-on-one relationships. In such a relationship, the beginning indexer gains knowledge and expertise, but must also seek more training and work on his or her own. The trainer usually enjoys teaching able students and is happy to help on a short-term basis. S/he may also gain valuable teaching experience and, in the course of answering student questions, may gain a deeper understanding of indexing. Issues:
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| Structured Training | In a structured training relationship, the trainer provides the beginning
indexer with specific training, in addition to actual work assignments.
The training can take a number of forms. The trainee is expected to read
texts on indexing and to complete practice assignments before beginning
paid work. The mentor indexer may begin by marking text for the trainee
to type into an indexing program, explaining to the trainee how particular
terms and concepts are selected for indexing and how they are worded for
indexing, reviewing alphabetization, style, and format methods and standards,
and discussing editing of the final index. In such a relationship, the trainee would pay the mentor an agreed-upon fee for training. When the trainee is ready to start indexing, the mentor would pay the trainee for assistance, at a rate that might start out low and then increase over time as the trainee gains experience and requires less extensive training and supervision. Issues:
|
| Index Review and Evaluation | Experienced indexers may review indexes prepared by others at no cost,
at an hourly rate, at a set fee, or at a percentage of the project fee.
Usually the experienced indexer has not been involved in obtaining the
work or completing the project. She or he is asked by the indexer to review
the index before it is submitted to the client. An indexer's client may
also hire an experienced indexer for an independent review of the work
of beginning indexers. Review may take several forms, from editing the printed index to comprehensive review based on the page proofs, to, occasionally, complete overhaul of the index. Review may be separate or in addition to other mentor/trainee relationships. Issues:
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| Formal Apprenticeship-like Relationship | In an apprenticeship-like relationship, the beginning indexer works
for an experienced indexer to learn how to index and how to run an indexing
business. The focus is on training the beginning indexer in all phases
of indexing, including the indexing process and business aspects of indexing
so that s/he can, after a period of time, perhaps a year or a couple of
years, confidently move into her or his own indexing business. Or the
goal of both the mentor and the trainee may be that the now-trained new
indexer continue to work independently as a permanent employee of the
mentor. This is often a longer-term relationship than the other mentor-trainee relationships outlined, and it is often a full-time relationship. The trainee/employee receives on-the-job training as he or she contributes to the success of the mentor's business. Both parties benefit, as in most good on-the- job relationships. Issues:
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Considerations for All Types of Mentor-Trainee Relationships |
What type of work is available? Is it conducive to training? Is it grunt
work? Is it too difficult for the trainee? Does it pay enough to cover
training? Are deadlines reasonable for beginning indexers? Where will the trainee/assistant work? Out of his or her home office? In the office of the mentor/employer? Sometimes at home/sometimes in the office? If the relationship is a long-distance one in which the mentor and trainee or employee and assistant never, or rarely, meet, how will they communicate effectively? Does the mentor/employer have the time/expertise/interest to provide adequate training? Will the trainee's constant questions get bothersome, especially when the mentor/employer has deadlines of her or his own? Does the mentor/employer understand the time commitment involved? Does the trainee have the aptitude and the perseverance that is necessary to learn indexing? Can he or she be counted on to complete assignments on time? Does the trainee understand the time commitment involved? Are financial arrangements clearly spelled out? Is there a legally binding contract? Is there open communication between the mentor/employer and trainee/assistant? |
| How to decide which Mentor-Trainee relationship is for you. | Answering the questions below will help you understand the type of mentor/trainee relationship best suited to your current needs. |
| Questions to ask yourself as a mentor: | What do I want out of this relationship?
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| Questions to ask yourself as a trainee: | What do I want out of this relationship?
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| Making Connections |  |
| How do I find a trainee? | The problem will not be in finding someone interested in working for
you. There are many people who want to be indexers who value the idea
of a mentor/trainee relationship because they see it as a way to get both
needed training and work. In fact, people will offer to work for you for
nothing, just for the experience. The problem will be in finding people with a talent for indexing and with whom you can work successfully. Both of these qualities are hard to define (and hard to find) and you'll need experience before you are able to choose just the right person(s) to work with. Some possibilities: devise an indexing pre-test for beginners to gauge their aptitude; decide what makes you a good indexer and look for someone with the same qualities; decide which skills you lack and look for someone with those skills so you can complement each other; ask for references from previous employers or teachers; talk openly and honestly about what you are looking for in a trainee and ask what the trainee is looking for in a mentor. You may want establish a trial period for the relationship, after which you will both evaluate the desirability of continuing. You can let people know you are willing to be a mentor in a number of ways: advertising in local newspapers or newsletters published by the American Society of Indexers (ASI) and the Freelance Editorial Association (FEA); posting an announcement on an online service or via the Internet using the INDEX-L mailing list; announcing your interest at ASI Chapter or National meetings; or, simply depending on word-of-mouth (which is likely to be sufficient). |
| How do I find a mentor? | Mentors are harder to come by. Not all experienced indexers are interested
in serving as a mentor or in hiring beginning indexers to assist them.
Some do not have the aptitude or patience for teaching; some are too busy
to give you attention when you need it; and some are not knowledgeable
enough in indexing to give you quality training. Networking is probably the best way to find a mentor you can work with. It is unlikely that ads will be successful in attracting mentors (although a well-written, well-placed ad may be effective). You may have to convince an experienced indexer that there is some value in mentoring you. Evaluate your skills and let the prospective mentor know how she or he can benefit from working with you. Is it your library science degree? Is it your writing experience? Your familiarity with medical terms? Your willingness to work overtime to complete a project on time? Your high-speed, error-free typing? Discuss your needs frankly. Don't try to anticipate the mentor's needs and accommodate your own to meet those imagined requirements just to get the job. Make sure each of you has a clear understanding of what the other person wants out of the relationship. And don't misrepresent your own needs. If you feel you just need a little guidance to prepare yourself to open your own business, for instance, don't sign on as a full-time employee for an indexer who needs long-term assistants. It is likely that you won't know quite what you want at first, and that your needs will change over time. Be prepared to experiment a bit and learn from each other. |