The role of mentoring in the professional image construction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31391/S2007-7033(2020)0055-013Keywords:
mentoring, professional image, legal profession, social skills, work dressAbstract
This research analyses the informal mentoring influence in the professional image construction of recent law graduates. Mentors are usually professional image models for their apprentices, for they teach them to project technical efficiency and sociocultural consistency in their daily performance. Both characteristics are valuable in institutionalized organizations, such as those dealing with legal matters, where not only specialized knowledge is expected from new graduates, but also satisfactory and suitable behavior as well as a certain appropriate dress code for this kind of organizational culture. A qualitative perspective was used to analyze the data obtained through interviews with law graduates from private and public institutions in México State. The results show that clothing is a powerful sign of professional competence, although its value depends on different elements.
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