Navigating your career can be overwhelming, but having a mentor who can help guide you through it can be powerful. Even if you currently don’t have someone you can call a mentor, it’s never too late to find one.
Understanding your mentoring needs
Before choosing a mentor, it’s important to do some reflecting. Determine why you want a mentor. What do you hope to gain from the relationship? What are your future career and personal goals? This will help you identify a mentor that is right for you.
Know that having a mentor should be a two-way street. As a good mentee, you have to be open and honest to feedback, as well as follow-through on the advice that your mentor gives you. It’s also your responsibility to own the relationship. Schedule get-togethers with your mentor, and bring questions and discussion topics. Don’t be afraid to share your ups, downs and especially your progress. Possibly look for ways to reciprocate the help your mentor has offered. Share an article they would enjoy, offer to pay for coffee, send a handwritten note. Being a good mentee is just as important as finding a good mentor.
Choosing a mentor who’s right for you
Now that you understand your mentoring needs and are committed to being a good mentee, it’s time to choose a mentor. Who you choose will have a great impact on your life. Having a mentor allows you to have an expanded view of your career. Ideally, your mentor will share a similar professional outlook and has maybe even achieved goals you wish to achieve. Choose someone who is invested in your growth and will give you honest, yet positive, feedback and guidance.
Your mentor should challenge you and push you to think deeply. The best mentors are those who get satisfaction out of seeing others succeed. It may be possible for one person to serve as your mentor, but sometimes it’s good to have more than one. If you do choose to have more than one, think of them as your own personal advisory board. Do you have a mentor or mentors in mind? Take some time now to jot down their names and why they would be a good mentor for you.
A mentor is a resource for life. As your mentor helps you develop personally and professionally, maybe start to consider taking on a mentor role yourself. When you give, you receive.
~Heartland Dental
This content is sponsored and does not necessarily reflect the views of ASDA.
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