This is part 3 of the 3 part Career Struggles series.  In this article I will be going over the importance of having a mentor and how to choose the best one for you.

Career Struggle # 3 – No Mentor

Mentors are important in any aspect of our life but especially in our career.   Everyone needs a mentor, and often a few mentors that will be able to help in all different areas.

A mentor is someone that is in your corner and wants to see you succeed. They can guide you through the internal battles and frustrations you will experience as you grow in your career or change careers.  They will give you a new way to look at things and the support to go after your dreams.

Mentors have been where you want to go.  They are open to sharing their progress as well as their failures so that you can reach your goals quicker without having to learn the hard way.  They want to share their expertise and experience and if you are open to listening and learning, they could teach you invaluable points.

Possible mentors may be your boss, another leader in the organization or industry or a former colleague.  The right mentor for you is someone that you trust and look up to and someone that is willing to take the time to teach you and guide you.  A mentor is not someone you are paying to help you so remember that you need to be respectful of the time they give you.

If you are able to sit down with them for coffee or a phone call once a month, be prepared.  Have your list of questions ready if you have any for them and be ready to record their answers.  Then be prepared to implement what they teach you.

If you would like to chat further about how to find the best mentor for you I would love to help.  Just reach out and lets setup a call.