Having mentorship in the course of your career is a sweet hack to your success. Someone who would hold your hand to prevent you from making the same mistakes they made in the course of their career. They serve as motivation for you to aspire and desire the great things that will uplift you and aid your professional growth.
How Does Mentorship Work?
Mentorship is the agreement between two people with one person as the learner and the other serving as a guide to the learner, also known as the mentee. It involves providing and directing the learner to resources that can help the advancement of their career. They also help the mentee avoid setbacks and the mistakes they have made in their business or life. Mentors guide mentees on managing the fast-paced world of professional development; it is one of the most transformative relationships a person can have. A mentor is more than just a guide or an adviser; they are a source of inspiration, motivation, and practical wisdom. Whether you’re at the beginning of your career or navigating mid-career transitions, the impact of a strong mentorship relationship can be pivotal in accelerating your growth.
To build a good mentorship and find the one that suits you, consider the following :
- What you Need: Where are you in your career? and what do you have to do that will take you to where you need to be? What kind of people do you need to surround yourself with? What field are they in? What can they do? What do they have to offer you?
- Network with People: Build good relationships with people who have guidance to offer you, and don’t be shy to always talk about what you do.
- Build Proactiveness: Don’t wait until your mentor reaches out to you before you do the needful. Also, take initiatives and make sure you put everything you discuss with your mentor in place before the next meeting.
- Respect your Mentor’s Time: Your mentor is probably busy with other things. Respecting their time means doing what needs to be done and showing up for scheduled meetings.
How Mentorship Fosters Your Growth.
- Access to experienced professionals: A mentor has seen it all when it comes to your field. They’ve been through the ups, the downs, the highs and the lows and it’s almost like there’s nothing you want to talk about or bring forth that they haven’t experienced.
- Overcoming Roadblocks with Adequate Feedback: When you make a mistake and inform your mentor, it’s easy to fix up, get the results that you need with the great insights they will offer you.
- Building a Can-do Mindset: knowing that it is possible to achieve what you want to achieve because you can see someone living that dream in real time.
- Learning Experience: It’s a valuable learning opportunity to observe someone successful in their career and see how they handle challenging situations and rise to the occasion.
- Access to resources: Your mentor is in the best place to offer you support and guidance on where to find the best resources you need to pivot your career.
Conclusion
Having a mentor is good business for you, and for your professional life. It shortens the span of time it may take you to get to certain points in your career. You get to do less to achieve more when you’re proactive, focus on what you need, react well to feedback, and respect your mentor’s time.
A mentor-mentee relationship should also serve the mentor because of the time and effort they invest in reaching out to you to accelerate your career. Therefore, being a good mentee is the key to benefit from your mentor.