Learn the ins and outs of an industry with a mentor to guide you! Mentors can help you grow professionally. They have knowledge and experience which can help you navigate your career if you’re new to an industry or help you continue to grow if you’re more established in your career.
Your mentor doesn’t have to be someone in senior leadership in a company. It could be someone close in age.
Here are a few tips for choosing a mentor:
Your mentor could someone at your organization, or they might be someone at your gym, church, where you volunteer or even in Mentor groups on social media. Find someone who has experience in your industry, someone who has done things you admire and pick their brain.
Don’t force a relationship with someone. A mentor relationship will progress like any other- naturally. If you aren’t finding a connection with someone after several meetings, it’s ok to start meeting with someone else.
Choose how you communicate based on the person. If your potential mentor is in senior leadership in a company, then you may want to meet with them before work for coffee. If your potential mentor is someone close to your age, perhaps happy hour or dinner works better for their schedule.
Mentors can learn from you too. Make sure to offer help in return when it’s appropriate. A mentor relationship is two-sided!
Like any successful relationship, it takes time to build trust and find the right person. It may take a while to find this person, but once you do will be worth the effort.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
