Mentorship is lifechanging
Mentorship is life changing. That is a BIG statement. In my experience, it’s 100% true. This has to be my favourite subject to talk about. Why? Without mentorship, I would not have a career at all. I have been so lucky in my life that I was given opportunities and then shown the how-to’s and why’s behind not only my actual work, but how to navigate the corporate world.
Finding mentorship can be either intentionally sought out, or happen organically. In my case, I had two incredible Marketing Directors who took valuable time and energy to guide me through the start of my Marketing career. They walked me through the decisions our department was making, why we were making it, what it would look like in the short and long-term and how to go about the project from A-Z. They also made sure I was able to sit in on high-level executive meetings to take notes and learn. If you’re a mentor or a mentee, I highly recommend this. It changed my life. It was my first time working in an office and I remember jotting down all the jargon to google later when I got home. (ROI? KPI’s? B2B? B2C?) *Don’t look like you don’t know what these things mean!
Mentors can give you support, advice, and guidance as you navigate your career or personal development. It can happen in a variety of settings, not exclusively work, but also at school, or community organisations, and it can be formal or informal. The goal is to help the mentee grow and develop their skills and knowledge, and to become more successful in their chosen field or life path.
There are a ton of benefits to having a mentor. They can help with your personal and professional development by guiding and supporting you as you set and achieve goals and learn new skills. They can also introduce you to their professional network, giving you access to new opportunities and connections. Plus, mentors can serve as role models, giving you an example of how to succeed and what that can look like. Mentors can also help boost your confidence in your abilities and decisions. Having someone to confirm that an idea is good and worth pursuing, or that you’re doing good work can make all the difference on how you feel in your role.
So, how do you find a mentor? There are a lot of ways. Some companies have formal mentorship programs where they match mentors and mentees based on skills and interests. But, mentorship can also happen informally, like through a chance encounter or a mutual interest in a specific field or industry. You can even initiate your own mentorship by reaching out to someone you admire and asking for their guidance and support, or by joining a mastermind or hiring a coach. It’s important to note that mentorship can also happen in reverse, where the mentee is more experienced or knowledgeable and the mentor wants to learn from them.
It's important to remember that mentorship is not a one-time thing. It's a continuous process of growth and learning. A good mentor will encourage you to learn and grow, and will support you in your journey. It can look like many different things. A mentorship can be reciprocal with another peer, it can be with an office manager, it can be with a friend, or with a coach. When you break it all down to it’s bare bones, it’s completely aligned with those of us who see ourselves as perpetual students. As long as you stay open minded, curious and hungry, you will always be a mentee and you will always continue to learn and grow.
Mentorship is a great way to get ahead in life and in your career. It provides guidance, support, and an opportunity to learn from someone more experienced. Having been receptive to these relationships has honestly changed my life. I have more than quadrupled my income in 6 years, I have formed life long relationships and I have gained experience from seasoned professionals without having to have lived their careers.
