This guest article and infographic deal with one of the critical aspects of every career: finding the mentor.
Having a mentor can be extremely valuable, particularly for individuals who are looking to advance in their careers or transition into new careers entirely. Working with a mentor can help you achieve the career success you want. When seeking out a mentor, it’s important to find someone who is a match for you. This piece will discuss the benefits of having a mentor and offer suggestions for ways to find the ideal mentor for you.
What are the benefits of having a mentor?
A mentor provides you with guidance, emotional support, and new insights in order to help you grow and succeed. They give you unbiased feedback and a fresh perspective that most family members, close friends, and co-workers are not able to deliver. A mentor can help you get organized and set realistic goals, as well as offer tips for improving communication. Working with a mentor can help you feel more inspired, and motivate you to be more productive and deliberate in your search for success. Overall, having a relationship with a mentor can boost your confidence and prepare you to meet the challenges associated with advancing or transitioning your career.
How to seek out a mentor
Finding a great mentor can take a bit of effort, but taking the extra time to find a mentor who is a perfect fit for you will ultimately pay off in the long run. Before you begin your search, it is critical to clarify what exactly your goals are and what you are looking for from a mentor. If you don’t know what exactly you need help with, it will be impossible to find the right person to assist you.
Once you do start your search for a mentor, you’ll want to be proactive. Make sure to take time to network so that you can find someone who is truly knowledgeable about the career path you are interested in pursuing. It’s also important to look for someone who enjoys sharing their knowledge in order to benefit others, has time to speak with you on a regular basis, and is willing and able to provide unbiased, constructive feedback.
You will want to interview a potential mentor to help you understand whether or not they are a good fit for you. Look for someone who you admire, and be open about what you need from them so they can be honest about whether or not they’ll be able to deliver. Try to get a feel for what their mentoring style is. Some mentors are cheerleaders, and others are challengers or educators. Mentoring relationships are built on trust and respect, so be honest with yourself about what mentoring style is going to benefit you.
Be prepared to fully commit to the mentorship so that you can get the most out of it, because like with any relationship, it is a two-way street, and requires effort to succeed.
The visual below from University of St. Augustine for Health Services offers tips on how to find a mentor. Check it out to learn more how to find the perfect mentor for you.
