Managing a fast-paced career can feel a little like navigating a minefield. You want to excel, of course, not only by doing your best work, but by being innovative, confident, and creative. At the same time, you’re trying to steer clear of mistakes you’ve seen others make, as well as the plethora of unforeseen pitfalls that can cause a career to stall or become obsolete altogether. Whether you’re at the beginning of your professional career, or at the peak of it, it’s hard not to feel like you’re on your own. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Support and guidance can be yours, if you find and retain the right mentor to help see you through.
Many professionals and publications throughout the years have espoused the virtues of having a career mentor. Adweek recently traced modern day mentoring back to none other than Homer’s Odyssey. In the Greek epic, Odysseus goes off to fight the Trojan War and leaves Mentor to oversee his household and guide his son, Telemachus.
“Nearly 3,000 years later, the need for guidance persists,” writes Adweek’s Carolyn Hadlock. “And those who have acquired expertise and wisdom should share their wisdom with the next generation of leaders — especially in this age of digital transformation and disruption.”
Benefits of having a mentor
With technology taking on a bigger role in today’s workplace, and the new demands caused by such a shift, modern professionals need someone they can turn to for guidance and advice. And according to an article from Mashable, the ability to glean lessons from the real-life experiences of a mentor is the most obvious benefit to having one.
But that’s not all. Learning from a mentor with years of experience could improve your career in innumerable ways. Along with offering career guidance, mentors can provide much needed emotional support and encouragement. In tough situations, they can dole out the advice that you need to hear — not necessarily the advice you want to hear. A mentor can also provide an objective point of view, which can be especially helpful for professionals whose workplace is set on doing things a particular way, all the time. And, as an article in The Week recently pointed out, mentors can also “act like a role model, giving you something to emulate and aspire to.”
Finding the right mentor
A good mentor can instill his or her mentee with confidence and self-esteem, all while providing guidance, advice, and the much needed perspective of an objective party. In addition, the most sought-after mentors have excellent listening skills, aren’t judgmental, and are patient, trustworthy, and able to be completely honest 100 percent of the time. When searching for a mentor, keep that in mind. After all, finding a mentor isn’t just about finding someone who’s willing, it’s about finding someone that fits your personal style and understands you. The following tips may help:
Whether you’re starting a new career or decades into one, the advice and guidance of the right mentor can be priceless. And if you’ve just begun looking for a mentor of your own, the good news is they may only be a phone call, message, or email away. Make a list of professionals you admire. Chances are, one or more would be happy to share their experiences (good and bad) and offer advice on your current career path.
By Holly Johnson
This article is originally published on OnlineDegrees.com.
Posted in Career Advice, Career Management | Tagged Tagged advice, benefits, career, career path, confident, creative, email, emotional support, encouragement, Facebook, goals, honest, innovative, lessons, Linked In, list, listening skills, meeting, mentor, mistakes, patient, professionals, questions, relationship, self esteem, technology, trustworthy, twitter, workplace
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