Traci L. Day

The word mentor comes from the Greek language and means “a wise guide.” Although many praise the benefits of mentoring, finding this person in a career can be challenging. The fact remains, if you’re out there looking to find a mentor, your chances are better than if you’re waiting on a mentor to find you. The key is to know when you need to find this person. 

You know you need a mentor when…

1. You are not sure where to go: It is important to wake up excited about your future and keep your eye on where you intend to be. You need someone to help you determine your vision, keep you pointed in the right direction, and keep you focused. You know you need a mentor when you feel uninspired in your career. This person will keep you engaged and on the right track.
2. You are not sure if people know about you: You need to be on the radar in your career. You need to build a good reputation and promising career trajectory. People need to be talking about you in a positive way and associating you as a “go-getter” in your field. A mentor assists in developing you as your brand.
3. You are not sure of opportunities to take or interests to follow:  You need to build a relationship with a professional who can advise you on positioning your career and achieving goals. Someone who pushes you to advance yourself and assists in showing you how. 

Before approaching a possible mentor, you should ask yourself what you’re hoping to achieve from the relationship, and is what you want consistent with what the possible mentor can offer? Think mentor, not savior. You need to be realistic about the time commitment for mentoring and keep this in mind when approaching someone about becoming your mentor. Do they have time?

Is your thought process career-related support or psychosocial support? Career-related support includes coaching or sponsorship and usually the outcomes are in the form of higher compensation and career advancement. In comparison, psychosocial support develops the mentee’s sense of identity and competence in what they’re doing. The outcomes of this type of support usually come in the higher levels of job satisfaction and career commitment. 

Therefore, it may be necessary to think beyond one person when seeking a mentor. Maybe you need to consider multiple mentors to cover all needs. You might approach one person for psychosocial support and another person for the career-related support. You may want subject expertise or advice on one particular career area.  Either way, you will more than likely need different mentors at different stages as your career advances and changes. The most important aspect of this process is to recognize that you have a mentor need and take the necessary steps to find the right person, at the right time, in your career.

Some Key Characteristics of a Mentor:

Patient, Inspirational, Honest, Visionary, Dreamer, Knowledgeable, Understanding,  Giving, Tough, Ethical, Trustworthy, Open-minded, Approachable, Available, Caring, Dependable, Tactful, Considerate, and a Great Listener.

Copyright 2013 P.D.C.W.W.E. Inc.