9 Simple Ways That A Mentor Can Change Your Career
As a business owner, you may be wondering how mentors can enhance your career. Well, have no fear. Here are nine reasons why having a mentor is so important for any entrepreneur.
#1: Goal Setting
You cannot meet a goal that you have never created. Mentors can help you achieve your goals and help you set new ones.
#2: Skill Development
Mentorship helps young professionals develop skills they don’t yet possess. In addition, mentors help develop soft skills that are important for success. For example, they can teach things like how to network and communicate effectively.
In addition, they often mentor people from different backgrounds or ethnicities, which gives them greater empathy toward others’ perspectives.
#3: Info Centre
Having a mentor provides someone who has experience in their industry to ask questions. In addition, the information shared between mentors and mentees is typically done in confidence.
Meaning there will likely never be a better time in your career when you have the ear of a more experienced person who is willing to provide you with confidential insight into their work.
#4: Partnership
A partnership between two individuals encourages growth for both parties.
#5: Inside Man
They provide insight into the company culture as well as give feedback about performance. You have someone to guide you through the workday and show ways of doing things which will ultimately leave more room for creativity once you’re in a position to do so on your own.
#6: Network Possibilities
They often provide access to an informal or formal network that might not otherwise be available when looking at job openings from outside the company’s walls.
In addition, having a mentor who is willing to share their contacts can fast-track future opportunities because it provides quick access into the right circles within an industry where many people spend years trying to break in.
#7: Guidance
They can act as a guide to help you navigate through difficult conversations about your career path.
#8: Sound Board
Mentors are great resources for idea generation. They often have fresh perspectives on old problems or challenges that spur new ideas to tackle previously intractable obstacles.
#9: Know What You Want
Mentees should also be sure about what they want out of a mentorship relationship before signing up. For example, some mentors may not make a good fit because their personality does not mesh well with yours. Or there might be an issue where one party’s needs aren’t being met due to unrealistic expectations on either side.
For example, mentors should not expect to be compensated for their time teaching you things that are important in building your career.
If you find yourself with an opportunity for mentorship, take advantage of it. Once it leaves, there is no guarantee when one may come along again.
One of the most valuable long-term career decisions you can make is to choose someone who will guide and support your growth. Especially if you are new on the circuit, mentors will easily guide you past the pitfalls others have fallen into.
For example, suppose you are stepping into the high-end real estate market. In that case, there is no better way to learn from the best than getting mentored by brokers experienced selling million-dollar homes.
