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November 12, 2014
5 tips for finding a mentor
Having a mentor seems to be a buzz word when discussing career progression and also in the entrepreneurial world with many publications like Forbes.com stating that ‘Having a mentor is crucial to an entrepreneurs success’. Joanna Barsh, author of how remarkable women lead, tells us that ‘ It’s good to have mentors and the more the merrier!’.
Do you have a mentor? If not, here are 5 tips on how to find one.
1. Approach someone you admire
Think about someone who is in your network, a colleague, manager or acquaintance, whose qualities or career you admire. Ask them via email or in person if they would meet with you for a coffee. Explain to them how you have admired their career or the way they carry themselves (prospective mentors LOVE compliments) and you would like to find out more information about their career and industry. If a prospective mentor knows that they have the opportunity to share knowledge and talk about their journey they will most likely be flattered and say yes! This is the start of how a mentoring relationship can begin.
2. Never ask someone ‘Will you be my mentor’
Let the relationship develop naturally & gradually as it could be intimidating to the person asked because it may sound like a bigger responsibility and commitment then it actually is! Whenever you have a question about something related to careers or a challenge at work/school/university-email a person who is either in a more Senior role asking for some advice and feedback or someone within your industry who is very successful. They may be willing to share their best practice and then you could start to build a genuine relationship from here.
3. Look outside your sector
You can find a mentor in a totally different sector to the one you work in or your desired field. In fact they could even be a better mentor because they would be able to give you a more objective point of view and advice! What you need is the skills and qualities of a good mentor-not necessarily a similar work background.
4. Try not to just take, Take, TAKE!
Keep an eye on how you can reciprocate the help a mentor gives to you by working out ways that you can be of service to them. Pay attention to any problem areas they may mention in regards to their own work and see how you could help solve this. Especially if your mentor is within your workplace, you could offer to carry out some research or help on a project.
5, The more, the merrier!
Some people have about 5 mentors who they may call on sporadically throughout their careers when they may need guidance, support and help to develop themselves personally and professionally. The great thing about having lots of mentors is that you don’t necessarily have to speak to them regularly and take up too much of their time and you get many different viewpoints and expertise to help benefit you.
If you want to find out how useful having a mentor can be for your career then check out our interview with Jazmine Denise Rogers, News Writer at madamenoire.com who talks about who her mentors are and how they have helped her career in journalism
