The career benefits of finding a mentor

A mentor can be a huge source of inspiration, advice and knowledge at any stage in your career. Unlike a colleague or other professional acquaintance, mentors specifically agree to meet with you and offer ongoing guidance and support. Particularly in the early days of your career, mentorship schemes are a worthy time investment in your future goals.

In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of having a mentor and how to find a mentor of your own.

The benefits of having a mentor

There are many benefits to mentoring, which will vary with each partnership. The outcomes of mentorship programmes are up for discussion at the start, so each pairing will be different depending on your aims or what the mentor can offer.

Some organisations and initiatives offer more systematic, regulated mentoring schemes, while others work on a more informal basis. Alternatively, you might be sourcing your own mentor, so you can have full control of the goals you’re looking to meet through the arrangement.

Generally speaking, these are the benefits of having a mentor:

• Career advice and guidance on professional development
• Introductions to useful contacts to help build your network
• Exposure to new perspectives
• Innovative ways of thinking and harnessing creativity
• Unbiased advice and feedback on projects and career choices
• Advice on how to build strengths and learn from failures
• The opportunity to increase your knowledge and develop new skills
• Accountability for your goals
• Improved wellbeing, mental health and self-confidence
• Enhanced engagement with your career and/or employer

What does a mentor look like?

There are no set rules for who you could select as a mentor. They could be employed by an organisation, a business owner themselves or a freelance professional. Usually, mentors hold a senior role in their industry or company, most likely with a certain degree of influence and respect in their chosen field. They’ll typically be someone in a position that their mentee aspires to work towards, with the ability to share valuable experience and connections.

There are certain factors you can look to measure against. An ideal mentor is someone who:

• Is respected and admired in a relevant field
• You have a comfortable, easy rapport with
• Has reached a level that you’re planning to work towards
• Is considered a forward-thinking expert in their field
• Will commit to your development and is keen to impart knowledge
• Is positive and encouraging about your potential
• Is not afraid to offer honest, constructive feedback
• Is not directly in charge of you or supervising your work

How to find a mentor

There’s no fixed method of finding a mentor, so you could try different tactics and entry routes:

• Your current company may already run mentoring schemes. Check with your HR department to find out
• Get in touch with your professional connections - LinkedIn is a readily-available resource for searching a wide base of contacts
• Speak to your previous schools or training institutions. Their alumni programme might facilitate mentorship match-making
• Be proactive in asking for referrals from anyone you work with, people you meet at events or even people in your social circles
• Look out for dedicated websites and independent schemes for mentoring (you shouldn’t ever have to pay for these)

Think carefully about what you want to get out of a mentorship, making sure that the mutual expectations of both parties are clearly aligned. Don’t put too much pressure on a prospective mentor by demanding more time and attention than they can offer. Instead, talk openly about your aspirations and why you feel their guidance would be beneficial. Through honest discussion from the start, you can hopefully come to a mutually agreeable structure and time commitment.

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