How to find (and keep) a professional mentor
Connecting with a mentor who can offer real-world guidance on how to navigate today’s business landscape can make all the difference in your career. Here are a few steps that will help you find the right person, connect with him or her, and maintain a healthy relationship so you can keep moving forward in your career and your life.?
1.GET STARTED
FIGURE OUT
WHAT YOU WANT Take a step back and ask yourself
a few simple questions. What are your career goals? Where do you see your career going? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What’s important to you? Answering these questions will help you better understand what you seek from a mentor.
CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS
The greatest mentor might be closer than you think and you might not even know it. Look to friends, family, colleagues, community leaders and alumni as possible matches from whom to gain valuable information. Also, ask these connections about their networks. Even if they’re not the best fit for you as a mentor, they might know someone who is.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Once you find potential candidates, do a little extra research to see if any of them are the ideal fit for you.
How deep is their expertise? What type of industry connections do they have? What career path did they take? How do they define success? Most of these questions can be answered by looking at each individual’s LinkedIn profile or by researching their background on the web.
2.INITIATE CONTACT
SEND PRAISE
Compliment your potential mentor by acknowledging an insightful article or blog post he or she has written, or by mentioning a past career accomplishment. A little flattery goes a long way and can open the door to a valuable relationship.
ASK ABOUT THEIR WORK
Show interest by asking a question about a potential mentor’s career. This can be a big picture question about how the individual made it to where he or she is now, or a specific question about a project or client he or she worked on.
SHARE INFORMATION
Send an article or other piece of content related to a candidate’s position or industry to indicate
you’re interested. Doing so can start the mentor/mentee relationship off on the right foot by showing that it will be reciprocal.
3. MAINTAIN CONTACT
CLARIFY YOUR INTENTIONS
You and your mentor need to agree on short-term and long-term goals to help build a clear picture of the relationship objectives. By listing
mutual expectations, you’re establishing a healthy connection from which both parties can benefit.
AVOID PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE
Be cautious about asking for too much. Mentors have their own obligations and careers to maintain. If you ask for too much up front, your mentor may think you’re only interested for selfish reasons. And always remember that any advice given should be followed with appreciation.
LOOK FOR WAYS TO RECIPROCATE
Mentorships are two-way streets; mentors are just as interested in learning from you as you are in learning from them. Share your
successes, continue offering relevant content related to their interests and stay current with their career accomplishments. Healthy mentorships benefit both parties.
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE
In the workplace, mentoring goes a long way, and we’ve got the numbers to prove it.
96%
of mentees are able to apply their learning directly to their careers
75%
of executives say mentoring plays a key role in their careers
71%
of Fortune 500 companies have a mentoring program
DISCOVER A MENTOR IN CTU’S NETWORK
Your next mentor could be a few clicks away. Explore the breadth of professionals participating in the CTU LinkedIn group (http://linkd.in/ctuniversity) to see if there’s a contact in our network you can get in touch with today.