The role of mentorship in career development used to be a lot more prominent once upon a time but we’ve grown more individualistic with the passing years, fully committing to the “every man for himself” ideology. Those who have worked with meteors for their career development will be able to tell you that the insights they have received have remained invaluably throughout their careers. A mentor remains a more experienced source at an organization with extensive experience at the company in particular, or in the field in general. They bring knowledge of both the highs and lows in their career and become part of your learning experience too. The benefits of mentoring on career development cannot be understated and if you don’t have someone to learn from already, we’d recommend you start looking soon.
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Mentorship in Career Development: Why Do You Need a Mentor for Your Career Growth?
When you join a new company at the start of your career, your onboarding team or immediate managers often show you the ropes and point out what your job role involves at the company. By working with them and mimicking your colleagues, you soon find your groove at the company and settle down into your role. At some point over the next few months, you might start feeling like you know your job well enough to stop asking questions and turning to others and begin working independently handling tasks on your own. While that is a great start at taking responsibility for your work, consider this—do you truly know everything that there is to know about your job? Have you faced roadblocks that you struggled to overcome that you’re sure your seniors must have encountered already?
The role of mentorship in career development is not a necessary one—you can likely manage to keep moving forward just alright without it—but it does make the learning curve pass by more quickly and reduces the number of roadblocks you encounter. Learning by doing is useful but learning by listening can also save you a lot of grief from problems that have no reason to be as inconveniencing as they are at work. There are many benefits of mentoring in career development and you might find yourself enjoying your work a lot more when you have someone to confide in and trust within your workplace. The other advantages include:
- Contact with someone who can help with brainstorming during unprecedented work challenges
- You have someone who can correct your work before it turns into a bad habit
- You can alter your career trajectory according to their feedback or get a clearer sense of where you are headed—career planning is critical for career development
- You have someone to hold you to your individual work goals
- Mentorship in career development can allow you to pick up new skills and tasks more quickly with their insight into the work
- Mentors can help you navigate workplace conflicts better and support you through a toxic work environment
- Mentors in talent acquisition are well-informed about the top skills, relevant interview questions and material, industry standards, etc. and can provide you with the same insight
- Mentors can help you widen your contacts network and build your circle
- Peer mentors can provide you with some comfort at work, allowing you to feel seen by others going through the same things you are
- The benefits of mentoring on career development can also go two ways, with the mentor gaining a fresh perspective or understanding of the latest technology that you yourself might be unfamiliar with
What to Look For In a Mentor?
Many organizations make mentorship a part of their business plan and provide new employees with the opportunity to work with a specific mentor for their time at the company. This makes it easier to get started without the awkwardness of asking around for help on your own. If this isn’t a default procedure at your organization, then you might have to take the initiative to ask around and see who would be willing to work with you to provide mentorship in your career development.
Be careful while looking around for a mentor and be particular about who you ask to take on the role. Forcing a senior into the role will be unproductive for both you and the mentor so try to find someone with a genuine interest in playing the role of a mentor. Have clarity yourself and ask “Why do you need a mentor for your career growth?” The answers that you come up with should help shape your search. If you need someone to help you plan your career or switch roles then a mentor in talent acquisition might be better for you but if you want to specifically build a career in a particular role at your company, look for mentors with knowledge in that field. Other tips to consider include:
- Set your own criteria and understand what you are looking for first
- Make a list of the individuals in your organization who might be willing to work as mentors—those who already assist others, those who will have more time available, those who you’ve personally worked with before, etc.
- Familiarize yourself with the people you want to consider and do some research into their experiences. Check their work experience, skills, achievements etc. which are often available on LinkedIn in order to understand who reflects your own career expectations
- Prepare mentally for a “No.” The first person you directly approach to take on the role may not be in the right space to take on the responsibility and that should be an acceptable answer for you. Be gracious in accepting this response
- Be clear on what kind of support you are looking for and be reasonable about the expectations. Mentors might not be able to make themselves available to you all the time
- Consider whether you’re willing to settle for a lesser involvement from the mentor. Some individuals might be willing to be mentors but they may not be able to perform in the capacity you’re expecting
- If they agree to take on the role, start slow and familiarize yourself with your mentor gradually instead of overwhelming them with questions and expectations on day one
By now we hope you’re not still wondering why you need a mentor for your career growth. If learning from someone and working in tandem to find direction sounds about right to you, then sit down and consider what you can do within your organization. Your employer may already have a mentorship program that you can sign up for which should make things much easier for you but if not, then assess who you might be able to approach for this purpose.