Mentors can provide invaluable assistance to an individual who is seeking career advice and guidance. In last week's CI CyberNews CyberPoll, we asked readers if they have ever had a career mentor. Most respondents answered yes (69.2%), but 23.1% said no, and 7.7% were unsure.

Comments included:

Grad school, yes; career no. I think the responses you get are going to depend on the responders concept of "mentoring".

I had a mentor (the Ph.D. chemist/manager who hired me) when I took my first job as a Ph.D. chemist 35 years ago. We shared a lab, worked together on several projects and then went our separate ways after a corporate downsizing reached out and grabbed both of us. Today we remain the best of friends and continue to keep in touch.

Are you interested in taking the industry’s pulse on a particular topic? Send your suggestions for CyberPoll questions to Kelsey Seidler at seidlerk@bnpmedia.com.

Many thanks to all of the CI CyberNews readers who have participated in our CyberPolls. Not a CI CyberNews subscriber? Follow this link to sign up for your free subscription!