Get a Mentor / Mentorship
Getting ahead in your career is important. Not only can it help you erase years of frustration, but also make you more of a valuable asset at work. One way to get ahead is to use the experience and wisdom of others, such as a mentor. Mentors are a great way to excel your career, make yourself more noticeable in the company or industry, and has the potential to eliminate costly mistakes that can damage or severely slow your career growth. So before we go into the journey of mentorship and considering when looking for, selection and working with a mentor, always remember anyone who has been seriously successful has or had a mentor.
Become Known: Ask. If you think someone is going to come to you and say, “I would like to mentor you, what do you say?”, you can keep waiting. A majority of the people who are mentors are sought out by mentee’s and rightly so. If there is someone you feel can help your career, approach them with the idea. You will be surprised as they will that you feel that way. Most likely, they will be honored. Just make sure when you ask you are clear why you are asking.
Don't Be Sexist, Racist, Age-ist or Jobist: In this day and age, it’s important to see that there is a great diverse set of people who can help you excel. Having a mentor that is of the opposite sex can give you invaluable information and insight into situations, moreover perspectives that you would never consider. The same goes with those of another race or job industry. Some of the brightest people out there currently are young professionals who are outstanding at what they do. Two of my personal mentors in fitness are not even 22 years old, and I have benefited greatly from them. So put those roadblocks aside and see what you can discover.
How often should you meet: Don't expect to meet with your daily or even weekly. Some mentors meet monthly, or even quarterly. Something that is consistent and works for the both of you is important.
What to expect from a Mentor: This is something that is determined by the both of you. Make sure that when you express why you want them to be your mentor, you focus around those parameters. This will allow for both of you to get the most value out of the mentorship. Remember, a mentor can help you in many ways such as inside information on who’s who, connecting you with the right people and how the company gets things done. Additionally a great sound board for ideas and help with problem resolution. In time, most likely a friendship will develop outside the mentorship.
How Many Mentors Should I Have? As many as you can handle. Don’t feel bad if you have more than one mentor, and neither should the mentor. I would say that 3-5 is a good number, and 1 or 2 in a specific area. Any more than that, you can lose focus or it can lose its effectiveness.
Books to read: Monday Morning Leadership: David Cottrell, How To Be Your Own Mentor: Sheila Wellington.
Getting ahead in your career is important. Not only can it help you erase years of frustration, but also make you more of a valuable asset at work. One way to get ahead is to use the experience and wisdom of others, such as a mentor. Mentors are a great way to excel your career, make yourself more noticeable in the company or industry, and has the potential to eliminate costly mistakes that can damage or severely slow your career growth. So before we go into the journey of mentorship and considering when looking for, selection and working with a mentor, always remember anyone who has been seriously successful has or had a mentor.
Become Known: Ask. If you think someone is going to come to you and say, “I would like to mentor you, what do you say?”, you can keep waiting. A majority of the people who are mentors are sought out by mentee’s and rightly so. If there is someone you feel can help your career, approach them with the idea. You will be surprised as they will that you feel that way. Most likely, they will be honored. Just make sure when you ask you are clear why you are asking.
Don't Be Sexist, Racist, Age-ist or Jobist: In this day and age, it’s important to see that there is a great diverse set of people who can help you excel. Having a mentor that is of the opposite sex can give you invaluable information and insight into situations, moreover perspectives that you would never consider. The same goes with those of another race or job industry. Some of the brightest people out there currently are young professionals who are outstanding at what they do. Two of my personal mentors in fitness are not even 22 years old, and I have benefited greatly from them. So put those roadblocks aside and see what you can discover.
How often should you meet: Don't expect to meet with your daily or even weekly. Some mentors meet monthly, or even quarterly. Something that is consistent and works for the both of you is important.
What to expect from a Mentor: This is something that is determined by the both of you. Make sure that when you express why you want them to be your mentor, you focus around those parameters. This will allow for both of you to get the most value out of the mentorship. Remember, a mentor can help you in many ways such as inside information on who’s who, connecting you with the right people and how the company gets things done. Additionally a great sound board for ideas and help with problem resolution. In time, most likely a friendship will develop outside the mentorship.
How Many Mentors Should I Have? As many as you can handle. Don’t feel bad if you have more than one mentor, and neither should the mentor. I would say that 3-5 is a good number, and 1 or 2 in a specific area. Any more than that, you can lose focus or it can lose its effectiveness.
Books to read: Monday Morning Leadership: David Cottrell, How To Be Your Own Mentor: Sheila Wellington.
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