Why AIFP Fosters a Community of Mentorship for Rookie Traders

Mentorship is about more than just training new employees, it’s about creating a company culture of engagement. Here at AIFP, we understand that mentorship benefits everyone – from our rookie traders to the President of the company.

How Mentorship at AIFP Works

The most straightforward mentorship happens during our 12-month, paid trader apprenticeship program. Rookie traders are given the opportunity to train and shadow in every department across the company. They’re also connected with a team of mentors, which includes a senior trader, a professional sales trainer, and our company president. AIFP mentorship provides educated professionals with the most unique and adaptive training process within the lumber industry, which sets them up for success at AIFP, and in all their future endeavors.

Why Mentorship is Important to AIFP’s Culture

Mentorship programs produce well-rounded, successful employees because they’re the most effective way to pass down knowledge and wisdom. In addition to offering support to the least experienced members on the team, it also offers an opportunity for more experienced traders to pause, consider their experience, and analyze what they’ve learned. Workplace mentorship creates opportunities for:

Engagement

Because mentorship fosters a feeling of pride and loyalty, it increases engagement in the company, leads to employee retention, and creates a strong succession pipeline for your company.

Transparency

For leaders at the top of the chain, close mentorship keeps them involved in the day to day work of the company, which in turn allows them to make more informed decisions.

Investment

If mentorship is continuous, like it is at AIFP, there is no last-minute rush to prepare traders for leadership positions—they’ve been steadily learning the skills they need to succeed both in their current position, and in positions they strive to one day fill.

Community

At the end of the day, American International Forest Products prides itself in its company culture, which focuses on community above all else. Mentorship, as well as fun company outings and community outreach, help to create a feeling of fellowship.

If you’re looking for a career with a Portland company who values mentorship and sets their employees up for success, look no further than American International Forest Products. In the meantime, check out our blog, where we cover everything from how to nail the job interview to commodity trader sales tips.