Many of the world’s most successful people have mentors, or teams of mentors, helping them achieve remarkable things in the world. The lone entrepreneur is a rare beast. Instead, there are always people in the background (usually many of them) backing them up, giving them support and encouragement, and keeping them on the straight and narrow so they can do the things they need to do.
In this post, we take a look at the power of mentorship. We look at some of the ways to find work with a mentor to help you achieve your career goals, and how to make the most of the experience.
Essentially, a mentor is anything that can give you valuable advice or enable you to develop your skills in the direction of the career you want. In that sense, everything from books to summer internships can potentially fall under the guise of mentorship.
Most importantly, mentors connect you with people who can help you. They are adept networkers who put you in touch with individuals who can facilitate your growth and introduce you to new people.
But what can you do to find and work with a mental who will help you achieve your career goals?
Identify the Type of Mentor You Need
The first step is to find the type of mentor you need, based on your attributes, personality, and career goals. Find someone in your professional associations or organization who can provide valuable assistance as you rise the rungs in the corporate ladder.
You don’t necessarily need to choose someone with a similar background to you. What you want is an individual who can provide practical advice and help you position yourself advantageously in company interactions.
Reach Out
The next step is to reach out and start building relationships with people. Once you have a list of mentors who you think might be able to help you, pick up the phone or write them an email to tell them that you’re interested in having them take you on. Ideally, you’ll want to lay the groundwork first, telling them what you want to do and how you plan on being successful. They will then inform you whether they think they’re a good match for you and if they can help. When meeting with them, be attentive, engaged and considerate. Mentoring is something many people do voluntarily, simply because they want to help you.
Establish Expectations
It’s also essential to establish clear expectations with your mentor. You want to make sure everyone knows where they stand.
You should also set specific goals, particularly if a mentor is a senior work colleague. Both you and they should know when you’ve fulfilled particular targets so there’s an objective measure of your progress.
Go Into Sessions Prepared
Finally, don’t show up at mentoring events without proper preparation. Go into them with a list of questions, issues, or challenges you want to discuss. You can even write down the agenda and email it to your mentor so they can prepare for the meeting and marshal their thoughts first.