As a young professional, the value of mentors cannot be exaggerated. With a good mentor guiding you, you are able to avoid mistakes they may have made when they were in your shoes.
Essentially, mentors give you a chance to learn from their personal life experience and grow faster than they did. A good mentor inspires you, opens your mind, develops your EQ and connects you to people and opportunities you normally wouldn’t have access to.
In corporate organizations, mentorship boosts knowledge retention while developing more engaged employees. Entrepreneurs also benefit from mentorship as the right mentor can help startups navigate the infancy stages and make better business decisions.
If you’re thinking of approaching a mentor, here are some things to take into consideration and what you should ask for.
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Choose Your Mentors For Specific Reasons
Identify mentors who have the skills you need the most. Ideally, your mentors should have different areas of ability that will complement each order and get you towards your goals. It’s important that you’re deliberate in approaching mentors as they will be the ones you turn to for help at various stages in your career/business.
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Let It Come Naturally
Your relationship with a mentor should come from a place of common passion. Something about them sparks something in you. You may have heard them speak at an event, had an interesting conversation with them, seen or read some of their work etc. Whatever the case is, make sure your interest is genuine and comes from a wish to learn from them.
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Define Your Expectations Clearly
When you’ve found a kindred spirit you’ll love to learn from, ask if they have the time to or interest in mentoring you. Be specific about what you’ll like to be mentored on and what you hope to learn so they can understand how to help you. You should also suggest what meetings would like, i.e. once a week etc. However, your schedule needs to be flexible as your mentor is likely to have a busy schedule outside your relationship.
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What Are You Bringing To The Table
A mentor-mentee relationship is exactly that and for the relationship to be successful you need to set up a give and take dynamic. Figuring out what you could have to offer someone with age and experience on their side may seem impossible but it’s important you figure out a way to bring value to your mentor.