A mentor is someone who guides another person(a mentee) through experience by offering advice, building trust, listening, and responding to questions and concerns of their mentees. To be a mentor, an individual must be engaged, aware of the needs and concerns of their mentees, authentic, and reliable.
Characteristics Of A Good Mentor
Mentors have various good characteristics, some of them are
- Mentors have their mentee’s best interests in mind
- A mentor modifies his/her mentorship style to meet the needs of the mentee.
- A Respectful Attitude
- Be able to give candid and direct feedback
- Reflective listening and empathy
- Pays attention and offers feedback
- Value diversity of perspectives
- Knowledgeable, Nonjudgmental, and flexible
- Able to give constructive feedback
- Able to network and find resources
- Successful in career
- Be willing to dedicate time to developing mentees
Why Do You Need A Mentor?
There are various reasons why mentors are valuable, some of the reasons include:
- A mentor impacts knowledge and wisdom to their mentees
- They can provide mentees with insights, knowledge, context, and experiences that mentees may not know about
- Having a mentor also helps build a professional network
- A mentor provides leadership training to their mentees
- They provide opportunities and resources to build their mentee’s key skills
- Mentors can help their mentees identify and avoid career pitfalls, and help them with various challenges ahead of them
- They provide guidance on career management and growth
Now that we have spoken about who a mentor is, what they do, their characteristics, and why you need them, you have to learn the things to consider when selecting a mentor.
5 Things To Consider When Selecting A Mentor
1. Understand what a mentor is and isn’t
According to the definition given above and the characteristics given, this should be able to guide you on who a mentor is.
A mentor is someone who guides another person(mentee) through experience by offering advice, building trust, listening, and responding to questions and concerns of their mentees. To be a mentor, an individual must be engaged, aware of the needs and concerns of their mentees, authentic, and reliable.
Some characteristics of a good mentor are: A mentor should have the mentee’s best interests in mind, have a respectful attitude, must be able to give candid and direct feedback, pays attention and be a good listener
2. Be Clear About Your Goals
Before you even consider asking someone to be your mentor, you need to reflect on what you hope to learn and get out of the relationship.
Jot down your SMART(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) goals, and write down what areas you will need to be mentored
3. Find someone you want to be like or find the right people to mentor you
Don’t just find a mentor who has a career you want or professional goals that you desire.
Find a mentor who has the set of strengths, knowledge, experience, and skills you want to learn. Otherwise, you may end up discouraged and frustrated.
Look for the characteristics you want in your mentor.
Spend some time finding the right person. It is advisable to have several candidates before choosing your mentor
4. Try to know the mentor
Follow your mentor’s blog or online presence. Get to know your mentor and the people who her/him as well. Make sure you know and understand the mentor’s strengths and weaknesses. Set your expectations realistically.
The ways you can get to know the mentor are:
- Social media: LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
- If you both have a mutual friend, you can ask that friend
- Read what people say about he/her,
- Study what he/she is interested in, so you can lay a common ground
- Websites and blogs
5. Evaluate the mentor
Evaluate the mentor, ask yourself a few questions such as
- Does she/he have the qualities of a good mentor?
- Does he/she encourage their mentees?
- Does the mentor communicate well?
- Do you understand he/she?
- Do you feel a connection with the mentor?
Now, that you know how to find a good mentor, the next question you should be asking yourself is where can I find a good mentor. Don’t worry, I have got you.
Below are the various ways you can find a mentor
Where To Find Mentors?
- Online mentorship networks
- Professional networking events
- Fitness classes and groups
- Volunteer events
- Industry meetups
- Mentorship programs: Momentum by WayMaker Digital provides mentorship programs and services to various individuals for career growth. Join The Program Today!
- Any public location
- Networking We have offline and online networking
- Offline networking: Attend seminars, attend networking events, trade fairs, conferences, workshops, and local events
- Online networking: Social Media, webinars, Online community groups
Conclusion:
Having a mentor has such great benefits and can help your career growth and development. Today is the best time to find a mentor, go through the process, follow them meticulously and be a good mentee
Get Momentum by WayMaker Digital to accelerate your career growth with mentoring, one-to-one coaching, work shadowing, references, on the job support, and dedicated team support. Visit: www.momentumbywaymakerdigital.com
