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People from a wide variety of backgrounds can make good mediators. Presently, many states like California and New York have no mediator licensing requirements, which makes the answer to the question “How do I become a mediator?” as individual as the mediators themselves.
Before embarking on the journey to become a mediator, there are some questions you may wish to ask yourself in order to have a realistic approach in developing a career in mediation. Going from mediation training to a full-time mediation practice is difficult road, like building any quality business. Before you get started, ask yourself:
- Why do I want to become a mediator?
- What do I hope to accomplish?
- What will I use my mediation skills to do?
- How will my background contribute to my future practice in mediation?
- Do I need a steady paycheck, or do I prefer to be self-employed?
- Do I want to mediate full-time, part-time, or as an adjunct service to my existing career or practice?
- Do I want to be paid for my services, or do I prefer to mediate as a volunteer?
Once you’ve answered these questions for yourself, you’re going to need some training. Most people start out with a 40-hour basic mediation class, but before investing your time and money in a class, you may wish to read The Mediation Process, by Christopher Moore (2nd Edition, Wiley/Jossey-Bass 2002). This book is a classic in the mediation field, and describes the process from beginning to end. While there are many great mediation titles available, no other book takes the process from start to finish like The Mediation Process.
From there, you may wish to sign up for a 40-hour course. Most mediation panels, both volunteer and paid, require at least that much training in order to join. A 40 hour course is a great place to start to acquire, develop and hone your mediation skills. How much or how little training you wish to receive is up to you. Many mediators train and re-train throughout their lifetimes, enjoying the new perspective that each conference or training course gives. There are many quality courses offered in New York State, some privately and some through government agencies. Visit NYSDRA’s website at www.nysdra.org to see some of the trainings being offered to the field.
You’ll also want to join professional organizations, like NYSDRA, to keep abreast of developments in the field as well as to network and form networking groups. Join your professional organizations, and volunteer on the committees. You’ll get the opportunity to propose legislation that affects the mediation field, you’ll help the group offer training in mediation or specialized skill areas that affect mediation, and you’ll increase your profile in the field. Even if you’re new to mediation, you have skills which you can offer to these professional organizations which will help you advance your mediation skills while helping the organization itself. As a new member of my local mediation association in southern California, I volunteered to co-chair meetings where I met the area’s top mediators and had an intimate opportunity to hear them speak. I didn’t know much about mediation when I started, but by the end of the year I’d learned the best tips from the top practitioners.
You may find that the professional organization for your underlying field also has a mediation committee, such as the ADR Committee for the local Bar Association, Therapists’ Association, or Construction Contractors’ Association. And, if your underlying field does not have an ADR Committee, here’s your chance to get one started!
Once you’ve got your training, the next question most people ask is, “How do I get started in mediating actual conflicts?” There are as many ways to get started mediating as there are paths to the profession itself. Many people choose to join volunteer panels and community mediation programs. Some examples of these are the programs offered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Postal Service, and court connected programs. There are also several local for-profit panels of mediators, as well as nationally known panels like JAMS and the American Arbitration Association. Most beginning mediators start out on a smaller local panel or volunteer panel, however.
Except for the large panels and in-house corporate or government positions, mediation practices are, by and large, boutique firms or solo practices. The opportunities for being employed by one of these firms are few and far between, but there are nevertheless opportunities. The NYSDRA web site has a listing of job offers, but networking through professional organizations is a great way to hear about these (often unadvertised) jobs. Starting and building your own practice is also a choice many mediators ultimately make. Adding mediation to your existing career is where many mediators start their transition into a mediation career.
Once you’ve been to a mediation training, you can start to implement your mediation skills on a daily basis in your current work situation, form helping manage employee conflicts, or offering mediation as one of your services to existing clients. You may wish to take a mediation marketing course, such as the courses offered by Golden Media, Mosten Mediation Training, or Professor Randy Lowry at Pepperdine. There is also a book on the subject by Forrest S. Mosten, Mediation Career Guide (Wiley/Jossey Bass 2002).
There are also opportunities to work in mediation with a paycheck in private industry or government service, such as:
- Ombudsperson for a corporation
- Teaching and training
- Teaching and training in schools and peer mediation programs
- Human resources
- Conciliation Court (Family Court Services, Superior Court)
- Non-profit organizations and community mediation programs administration
- As a volunteer
- Government agencies like EEOC
- Mediation coach or consultant
While it would be impossible to explore every avenue available toward becoming a mediator in this short article, but it provides some food for thought as to how you might approach becoming a future career.
Diana Mercer is the founder of Peace Talks Mediation Services, Inc. (www.peace-talks.com) and co-author of Your Divorce Advisor: A Lawyer and a Psychologist Guide You Through the Legal and Emotional Landscape of Divorce (Fireside 2001). She is admitted to practice in California, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and the Supreme Court