How to Find a Mentor

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Mentors are important because they can give valuable advice and help your career. To find a mentor requires you to set goals and objectives to implement your future success. This article explains how to find a mentor by being aware of what you need for your career goals and knowing who can help you in the workplace and the industry you have chosen. 

What is a mentor?

A mentor is someone who can help you envision, plan and commit to achieving change in your life. A mentor can be a personal mentor in your daily life or a professional mentor in your workplace. Mentors can help with short-term goals to coach you through a specific project, or a mentor can help you in the long term. Mentors are essentially coaches who advise you and help you reach your aspirations. 

Why are mentors important?

There are many reasons why mentors are important, but the main reasons given by many people are to find someone to advise them on how to thrive physically, emotionally, professionally or financially. Mentors help you have the motivation for planning and implementing the objectives you need for success. Having a mentor can show you where you are succeeding in your life and where you need more work. Mentors provide information and knowledge you may need to succeed, such as making strategic decisions. They can see where your work needs improvement. 

Having a mentor is like having a second opinion that can be valuable to fill in the knowledge gaps or give constructive criticism. Mentors not only offer advice from their experience, but they also offer encouragement, structure and discipline to keep you on task with your goals and objectives. Acting as sounding boards, mentors can help you clarify ideas. Finally, mentors can connect you to other people in your industry.

How to find a mentor

Follow these steps to find someone to coach you as a mentor:

1. First, understand the role of a mentor

A useful mentor will help you assess your strengths, understand the industry where you work, introduce new perspectives, help you with decision-making and introduce you to important resources and people. A mentor is not someone who will do the work for you or give you the initiative to succeed. You need the drive to achieve your goals.

2. Second, decide why you want a mentor

Having a mentor requires a specific goal or purpose. Whether it’s wanting to have a pay raise or to have a better or different role at work, it’s essential to know why you want a mentor, so you can focus your time and the mentor’s time on creating objectives. Decide on what you want to achieve before you approach someone for mentorship.

3. Third, decide what type of mentor you need for your goals and objectives

A critical question you need to ask yourself is what you want in a mentor. Do you need a business expert at work to get a better role or salary, or an informal mentor to give you general life advice? The mentor you choose needs to fit in with the goals and objectives you have created for yourself.

4. Fourth, inquire about available resources for mentoring services at your workplace

Some companies have mentoring programs to help employees contribute further to the business. You can inquire with your human resources department to find out if they can coordinate or recommend a mentoring program or something similar.

5. Fifth, ask a respected colleague to be your mentor

You can be informal and simply ask someone you respect for help as a mentor. Be specific about why you need a mentor and why you want that person to be your mentor. You can ask for advice about one issue or project as a starting point. Show that you have previous accomplishments in your area of expertise and show that you are serious about the commitment to your goals when finding a mentor.

6. Sixth, reach an agreement with your mentor about a timeline or schedule for the mentorship

When you meet with your mentor for the first time, be sure to discuss a timeline that suits your needs as well as your mentor’s schedule. Always be considerate of your mentor’s professional and personal life. Finding a workable schedule for you and your mentor can deepen the relationship when you respect each other’s boundaries.

7. Seventh, check your progress with your mentor

Use a day planner or an online calendar to remind yourself to check in with your mentor. Schedule time to talk with your mentor on a regular basis, whether monthly or every week.

8. Then, be sure to keep in touch with your mentor

Even when you have achieved your goal, it’s polite to keep in touch with a mentor who has helped you. A mentor can be a trusted, lifetime advisor and become a friend for life. Knowing someone whom you can always go to for advice is valuable in business and life.

9. Finally, show some extra appreciation to your mentor

Find a way to express your appreciation to the person who mentored you. You can thank them for their time, knowledge and guidance with a handwritten note, a gift card or even a gift basket as a small token of your gratitude. Creating trust with a mentor is essential to keeping a mentor’s wisdom, help and advice near you for future business success.