Your first time in a new city can be pretty scary. Sure, you might have read up on some tour resources before arriving and might have a pretty good grasp on how to get to certain places.
However, having a native resident as a tour guide makes the experience easier and even more enjoyable. A native resident would answer your questions with personal experience, tell you the dos and don’ts of the city, and could even help you get into a popular restaurant without a reservation.
Having a career mentor to guide you on your professional journey is just like having a tour guide in a new city. A career mentor is an individual with a wealth of experience and knowledge to support your career advancement and growth.
Using their experience, they offer advice and direction that would help you make better decisions and might grant you access to their network, making what might have been a grueling trial-and-error process much more effortless.
In this article, we have highlighted how a career mentor can make a difference in your career.
1. A Career Mentor keeps you accountable
Making goals can be relatively easy. Yes, you know where you want to be in five years and what you want to achieve. You might have even created a proper goal statement using the SMART framework. A mentor can make setting goals even more effective by guiding you on creating relevant goals and realistic ways of achieving them.
They would also keep you in line with achieving them, drawing you back when you appear to be straying from them, and encouraging and applauding you when you’re on track.
2. A Career mentor is an experience resource
A mentor has stayed relatively longer in the industry and has gathered a wealth of experience. It could be personally or through an acquaintance’s experience, but they already know what to do, or do better and what to avoid to achieve success.
When you are at a crossroad in your career or come across a form of drawback, a mentor can provide insights on how to go through that situation and come out on top.
3. A Career mentor can help you expand your network
‘Your network is your net worth’ might sound like a cliche but it is true. A career mentor has been around long enough to know the changemakers in your industry and how they could provide opportunities for your career growth.
A mentor knows the relevant industry events to attend and the proper approach that would leave a lasting impression in people’s minds about you. They could also share tips on how to maintain a network. Someone once said ‘It takes one person to mention your name at a meeting’ and this is valid, especially in the workplace.
4. A career mentor can provide feedback and guidelines for success
The corporate world can be challenging to navigate especially in the early stage of your career. You’re often trying out stuff to see what works best for you and your career growth.
As you take certain steps concerning your personal branding, career positioning, and more, a mentor can give you feedback and share guidelines on how you can do these things effectively for more impact.
We frequently create content that you’ll find helpful! When we’re not doing that, we’re interviewing inspiring Leading Ladies who are eager to share their experiences with us!
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get these straight in your mailbox
