How To Find A Career Mentor

Who is your career mentor? If you want to take your career to the next level, you need a career mentor who’s willing to guide you to success.

A career mentor is someone who volunteers their time to share their knowledge and expertise with up and coming professionals, like you. Mentors will help you grow as a professional, build your skills, expand your network, and fine tune your career path. Everyone needs a career mentor who can help them create a successful career.

Mentors are respected professionals who will provide you with honest and timely advice based on their life and professional experience. They are able to give constructive criticism and useful feedback in your area of expertise. Mentors help to coach and train you to success. It’s your job to act like a sponge and absorb their vast knowledge, wise insights, and endless advice.

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The benefits of mentorship are huge and you need to take advantage of it. According to an article titled Five Key Steps For Effective Mentoring Relationships by Audrey J. Murrell, Ph.D., people with mentors “are known to report higher salaries, more frequent promotions, higher job satisfaction, stronger commitment to their organization, and are less likely to want to leave their jobs than those without mentors.” That sounds pretty good, right?

Are you wondering how to find a career mentor?

• Know What You Want – When you’re searching for a mentor, you need to know what type of person you want and need to help you achieve your career goals. Define the type of mentor you want to have.
• Choose A Respected Professional – Mentors can come from all walks of life. Be realistic in who will mentor you. They can be in your company, from your network, or from a total different niche. You can even apply for a mentor through a career mentorship program. Just make sure your mentor is willing to spend time with you and share their infinite wisdom.
• Reach Out To Your Potential Mentor – Once you have a picture of the perfect career mentor in mind, it’s time to contact them and create the building blocks of a long-term career mentor relationship. Ideally you’ll want to contact them in person and set up a meeting.
• Build A Mentorship Relationship – After you make contact with a mentor, it’s time to determine how the mentorship will work. Will you have weekly face-to-face meetings, communicate via email, schedule Skype calls, or discuss things while walking the dogs each day? Figure out a schedule that is convenient for both of you.
• Pick Their Brain – Now that the mentorship has been established, feel free to pick your mentor’s brain for tips and advice that can help you become even more successful.
• Return The Favor – Mentorship is a two-way street. Your mentor is giving you their time and knowledge. Be sure to return the favor if possible.
• Repeat – If you have one mentor who is super helpful, take advantage of it. But what could be better than one career mentor? Multiple career mentors. Feel free to seek out more than one mentor who can help guide you on the path to success.

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A career mentor is a valuable asset for every aspiring professional. Find a career mentor and take advantage of their knowledge, expertise, experience, skills, and network. All it takes is one cool career mentor to give your career the boost it really needs. Good luck!