Marine Corps Mentorship Program: The Effects of Mentorship on Career Progression and Talent Management

Abstract

In 2017, the Marine Corps Mentorship Program (MCMP), changed from a formal to informal framework. A key addition to the informal framework is the six functional areas of fidelity, fighter, fitness, family, finances, and future. This research focuses on the functional area of future, specifically individual career goals and retention decisions. The research explores aspects of the informal framework; discovering the mentor/mentee relationship, career advice received, and how the mentoring interaction influenced the retention decision of the individual Marine. As retention continues to be an issue in the Marine Corps, the MCMP is an established program that has potential to effect retention problems in a positive manner. The researchers interviewed enlisted Marines and explored their perception of the program and the overall effects of their mentoring interactions. The research provides an overall of the results and provides suggestions that will enhance the MCMP within respective units.