On the long road to becoming a mediator, the first step is to make the decision. The second involves determining how you’re going to get there. Getting yourself to be called a mediator, and perhaps referring to yourself as such, is relatively easy. However, being a successful mediator bears its own burden of responsibility.
Here are a few crucial steps you will have to take and some of the mistakes to avoid when looking to specialize in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
Going out to meet industry professionals
As your mediation training takes a full swing, you will perhaps be caught with the pure excitement that the prospect of making a difference in the world brings. It’s at this point that you will likely realize mediation is just the thing for you.
One of the things that makes it such a desirable profession is that you don’t necessarily need a qualification in law to take it up. An online mediation course is often enough.
It only makes sense that you should now dedicate all resources available into conferences, events, workshops, and training.
It’s here you forge friendships and partnerships – some of which will last while others fizzle away. In the process, you build up your skills and enthusiasm to the point where there’s no turning back.
The first mediation
The first mediation is one of the most important steps in your training. It may be a nerve-biting, tension-inducing experience for you, but it’s just you and the reality of the decisions you’ve made so far.
You should be able to face anything the world has to throw at you with all the practice you’ve gotten by now.
Once it’s over it’s time to cross out ‘first mediation’ from your checklist of life accomplishments. You’ve just taken one of the most important steps in the course of what’s promises to be a long career in ADR. But you’re not a full-time mediator yet. There’s still some work to be done before you get there.
Becoming a mediator
It’s now time to follow in the footsteps of senior, more experienced mediators. You will need to invest even more energy and time than before. By this point, you should be socializing with your peers and growing a network of both volunteers and professionals to help you along the way.
You might even want to squeeze in some more education experience; professional online ADR courses have been known to be very helpful.
With the right amount of luck, you might get to work with professionals in other fields, and even instruct students and lawyer trainees.
It would then be your job to provide a roadmap of what society and its future expect of them. You’ll be able to impart in them the fundamental concepts you picked up in your early days: fairness, good faith, and so many more. Taking up ADR as your profession of choice might just be the most fulfilling experience of your life.
