Success in graduate school to a great extent is influenced by the quality of mentoring that you get. In a mentor, you are looking for someone whose career inspires you. As they have the experience, insight and the knowledge they are best suited to guide you in your chosen career path. You must choose your mentor wisely. It is best advised to seek to mentor someone you are comfortable working with. As a mentee you need to collaborate with your mentor on different levels, which will ensure that the dissertation comes along smoothly. When writing your dissertation you need to negotiate realistic deadlines about dissertation submission. When committing a project work with the highest integrity, that, in turn, will lead to career success for the long term. 

In the mentor-mentee relationship realize what you are bringing to the table. This is key to managing your expectation from the relationship. Additionally, it will also help to foster a productive relationship further down the road whether you choose to be in academia or in the industry. A good mentor will allow you to develop your individual strengths, knowledge, and creativity. They will certainly set a good example in how to conduct yourself at a professional level through fruitful collaboration with peers/colleagues, administrative staff, and other employees. Good mentors help mentees to emulate positive behavior in order to become successful in your Ph.D. and future career. 

A mentor although compassionate will give you constructive feedback about your performance and also set you up for some challenging work. This is designed to help you develop the better analytical ability and effective communication skill. At the end, good mentors will motivate you and foster your self-confidence and self-reliance.  They feel invested in the success of the mentee. Additionally, a successful mentor-mentee relationship requires time and patience.

With a good mentor by your side, you are much better equipped to navigate the choppy waters of a Ph.D. smoothly. Ph.D. is only feasible for a very short time of up to five years. In this limited time, it is practically impossible to learn everything by trial and error method. However, getting the right guidance from you mentor can fast-track your Ph.D. As mentors are much more experience great value can be derived from their experience and expertise. Knowledge lasts a lifetime and gives you the tool to better your career in the future.