You’ve probably heard the advice to find a mentor who can help you in your professional career. But what exactly is a mentor and how can they help you. Deciding on the person, or people, who will help you throughout your career is an important process and there are several things you should know before entering into these conversations. Here is the importance of having a career mentor and how it can affect your long term success.
Provides motivation.
It can be hard to break into any industry. There is a need for constant motivation. Your mentor is your cheerleader. They can help you with questions, tell stories about how they achieved their positions, and give you general insight on the career you’re seeking. It can be extremely helpful to know someone else has done it before and this can kick start your way to a bright new career.
Helps develop skills.
Your mentor can also challenge you. They’ve done this before and they’ve learned a lot of new things throughout their career. They can let you know the new trends and things they are seeing in the industry that can help you develop your skills to be more marketable in your job search. They can provide hands on training by example.
Is a sounding board.
Sometimes you just need to vent. This is completely okay as long as complaining doesn’t become a full time occupation. If you’re feeling frustrated about your job search or your studies, you can turn to your mentor to get you through it. More times than not they’ve had the same experiences and frustrations and can tell you how they handled it. Lastly,
Allows you to learn from their mistakes.
Lastly, this is a fountain of wisdom from which you can gain new insight. Your mentor has climbed the ladder of their career for a long time so they have most certainly fumbled along the way. Talk to them about the mistakes they made and what they might have done differently. This can give you a new perspective to make fewer mistakes in your career.
Do you have a career mentor in your professional circle?
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