You might remember your friends or your colleagues reaching out to someone they call a mentor. People have mentors who can guide them better through various phases of their lives, which could be career-related or personal. It might have you thinking if you should also have a mentor? In the following article, we will discuss what a mentor is, why is it important and how can you find one for yourself?
What is a mentor?
A mentor is an individual who has the capacity to guide you with his or her experience and position so that you can accomplish what you want. You can learn from them in many ways, from their successes and failures without actually going through it on your own. They can also help you with unforeseeable obstacles that may come in your way.
A mentor is like a priceless treasure to have, especially at the time of crisis. It is important that you realize what you need from your mentorship and then lookout for someone who can help you reach your set goal.
Why do you need to have a mentor?
A lot of people fail to see the need of having a mentor in their lives. Here is an analogy to explain why you should have a mentor. Having a mentor is like a cup of coffee that you have first thing in the morning. You know you will eventually wake up, but your coffee lets you hit the stride much faster. From my personal experience, having a mentor will help you learn much more and gain multiple learning opportunities than you would otherwise.
For example, a mentor can introduce you to a colleague who has an internship opportunity. In any other situation that particular internship would have been a long shot. To sum up, a mentor can accelerate your growth and your journey on your career path.
How to find one for yourself?
At this point, if you think that having a mentor is the right decision for you, then it is the time you find one for yourself. The truth is that there is no application where you can find a mentor while swiping left or right on profiles. You will have to adopt new approaches which are more sophisticated and formal. Following are some ways you can find a mentor for yourself:
Social Media
We live in the era of the internet and building connections is easier than ever. Social media sites like LinkedIn provide the right platform for you to connect to professionals from your own domain. The best way is to connect with people you think are suitable and you can message them. Make sure you are formal and courteous. Displaying over-excitement or immature signs can make finding a mentor much more difficult. Once you connect with the person, try and engage. Later if you find the person suitable you can grow your connection into mentorship.
Personal Branding
Your profile on any social media platform is basic at first. In order for it to stand out, you need to put in the right kind of effort. The most important thing is consistency when it comes to branding and beefing up your social media profile. Be careful with the language and the tone if you are sharing something or asking a question. Staying up to date is the key. One way of doing can be sharing daily or weekly thoughts as a way to connect with others.
Seminars
This is one place where there is a high probability of you finding the right kind of people. Attend seminars in the field of your interest or of the field from which you want to seek your mentor. It is always the best idea to prepare a question for the seminar and shoot in the QnA session. There is a chance you can make a connection with the host of the seminar or the guest of honor.
Clubs and Societies
If you are still a student, then the best place for you to seek a mentor is organized, groups. Organized groups like clubs and societies have leaders, basically, these are the people who are volunteering to be your mentor.
It is also important for you to learn from your peers along the way. We do not realize that everyone has something to offer. Therefore, it is important you take up every single opportunity that lands your way.
