Have you ever felt stuck in a role, searching for someone who actually understands what you’re going through? Someone to bounce ideas off of, to vent to, to remind you that you’re doing better than you think?
That’s where Emily Trainor was about a year ago.
Emily had spent over three years building her PM skills in healthcare operations, moving up from administrative specialist to project coordinator to project manager. When her supportive manager left the organization, the landscape changed. Her new supervisor, a VP of network operations, was an ED physician managing multiple responsibilities. He didn’t necessarily understand project work the way her previous boss had. Emily found herself working solo, without the peer collaboration she saw other PM teams enjoying in nearby hospital systems. 
“I was concerned that staying in my own mind would make me negative over the course of the year,” Emily recalls. So she applied for the PMI Mass Bay mentoring program.
Through mentorship, Emily gained a crucial perspective: her work was sound. The challenge was the environment itself.
With her mentor, Maxine (an established PM with experience across multiple industries), Emily had space to think through what was actually happening. “Project management can be frustrating when you work with teams stuck in their ways,” Emily explains. “When you’re trying to optimize things and nothing changes, it feels discouraging.”
Maxine helped her reframe the situation. The question wasn’t whether Emily was failing. The question was whether she had the sponsorship and support she needed to succeed. And if she didn’t, what came next?
A Dedicated Space to Think
Emily’s sessions with Maxine followed a simple rhythm. Every other Thursday at lunch, for an hour. No required curriculum or structured topics. Just time to work through what was actually on her mind.
“What I really needed was someone with project management background,” Emily says. “At my old job, nobody I worked with understood that. I couldn’t explain to someone why certain admin work actually mattered. With Maxine, I could.”
As Emily’s situation evolved, so did the mentorship. When she started interviewing for new jobs, Maxine became someone to think things through with and someone to lean on. She helped Emily prepare for interviews, asked challenging questions, and reminded her that her work spoke for itself.
Emily describes it simply: “It was professional support when I needed it most.”
What Changed
Emily describes herself as “a bit of a self-doubter.” Mentorship gave her someone to remind her that lack of immediate success at work didn’t mean she was doing something wrong. Sometimes it just meant the situation wasn’t the right fit.
That reframing opened a door. Instead of waiting for a promotion at her current job, Emily began to consider looking for a role that was already at the level she wanted. “I realized I shouldn’t be pushing for the next title where I was,” she says. “I should be looking for a job that’s already at that level.”
Emily transitioned to a new healthcare organization in a promotional role. A couple months in, she’s one of six project managers on a team rather than working solo. She’s learning from peers, watching how project management works at scale, and feeling more confident about pursuing that PMP certification.
The mentor didn’t secure the job for her, but the experience gave her something equally valuable: dedicated time to reflect on what she wanted, to work through her doubts, and to approach a big career decision with clarity instead of anxiety.
Advice for Prospective Mentees
Come prepared with questions or specific situations you want to explore. “You have to set your own curriculum,” she explains. “It falls on you to be clear about what you’re hoping to get out of it.” The program is mentee-led, so the agenda is yours to shape.
Emily also learned something unexpected: she initially thought she needed a mentor with healthcare experience. What she actually needed was someone she could be honest with. “A lot of project management comes down to soft skills,” she notes. “You need someone you can talk through the real frustrations with, not necessarily someone from your exact industry.”
She also recommends being clear about what you’re really seeking. While Emily came in wanting strategic advice about her next career move, but what served her most was having time to think, someone who validated her work, and space to figure out what she actually wanted.
What Made It Work
What made Emily’s mentorship successful was straightforward. Maxine showed up consistently. She asked good questions and listened. She didn’t pretend to have all the answers.
Emily showed up too, bringing her real challenges and frustrations.
At its core, the mentoring program isn’t about finding someone to solve your problems. It’s about finding someone who will listen, ask meaningful questions, and give you space to find your own answers. It’s about having dedicated time, every other week, to step back and ask yourself: What do I actually want? Am I on the right path?
For Emily, that space changed everything.
Ready to apply? Whether you’re early in your PM career, navigating a frustrating situation, or considering a career pivot, the mentoring program might be exactly what you need. Applications are now open!
You can learn more about the program here