“One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” – John C. Maxwell
Nothing can be more accurate than this when it comes to mentorship. The importance of mentors is never going to fade, especially when you are working in an industry with cutthroat competition.
Mentors are there to expand your imagination, listen to you patiently, provide you unbiased advice and help you strike the right emotional balance at work. Having the support of a mentor can do wonders for an employee looking to expand horizons, experiment with ideas, and learn steadily. A mentor’s guidance can give a tremendous boost, both to your personal and professional development.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s get an in-depth understanding of why you need a mentor.
Why do you need mentors?
There can be multiple reasons why you need mentors. For instance,
- To guide your overall career path.
- To seek advice when you want a promotion in your job.
- To seek guidance on how to select a new course or develop a necessary skill set necessary.
- To help you deal with the ups and downs in your career.
- To help you evaluate newer unexplored opportunities.
Mentors can be your friends, philosophers, and guides who won’t judge you based on your work methodologies or your flaws. Instead, they will hone your talent and encourage you to build more and take the best possible measures for your career growth.
Selecting the Right Mentors
Mentors can play a crucial role in various aspects of your professional and personal lives. However, while looking for the right mentors, you need to be clear as to what are your long-term and short-term goals and how you want the mentors to help you achieve them.
Since no two mentors are alike, you may want to go to different mentors who will serve different purposes. Say, for instance, if you want to change your career from a PR Officer to a Resident Editor, select a mentor who has worked in a similar profile. Similarly, you can go to a different mentor when you want to switch to a more creative role from a technical role.
It is good to put a lot of thought and consideration into selecting the right mentor for yourself.
This takes us to the next segment – how to select the right mentors:
- Chalk Out Your Professional Goals – As a first step, define your professional goals before you decide on a mentor. Understand what you want to achieve and then find a professional whose guidance can help you develop the skills and expertise you need to achieve your goals. One of the ways to do so is to create lists of the things you want to do in the next couple of years and then identify the steps you need to take to get there.
- Identify the Best Ones – When it comes to mentors, remember, one-size won’t fit all. Don’t pick a mentor that your colleague or friend is interacting with, as their career goals will be different from yours. Moreover, it is not necessary to pick a mentor from the same department as yours. Instead, look for a person with a temperament and skills that match your needs and can teach you the tricks of the trade at your pace. This should get the ball rolling for you.
- Don’t Go by Titles – When it comes to selecting mentors, title hardly matters. For instance, someone at a junior level may have more knowledge of the latest tool or technology than someone at a very senior level. There’s no reason why you can’t pick one of your juniors or even your peer as a mentor.
- Look Beyond – Every company may or may not have a well-established mentorship program. But that should not stop anyone benefiting from effective feedback and guidance. Tap into your trusted network to find the best mentors for your requirements and reach out to them on your own. Don’t just limit yourself to the board rooms for discussing the essentials. Go for a coffee or attend a seminar together to bond well. This will help you start things on a great note.
Step Out of That Cubicle!
All said and done; you may not always be able to find the perfect mentor in a cubicle at your workspace. In many cases, the best mentors are often outside your work environment.
Regardless of where you find your mentor, establishing a long-term relationship with him/her is crucial to your skill development. NumlyEngage™ Enterprise, the world’s first Enterprise Mentoring Platform, helps you build trusted relationships with industry-leading mentors. You can easily seek out and get feedback on key behavioral competencies, from your professional network, and grow in your career.
Why not go beyond conventions and find someone who can really help you progress on your career path? Sign up for free for NumlyEngage™ Enterprise today and start your journey of career improvement.
