Whether you are looking for somebody to inspire you with your personal or professional goals, a mentor is going to be somebody who steps forward and gives you the support that you need to reach your goals. Hiring the correct mentor for your specific needs can take time and research however.
A mentor is a person with specialized knowledge in the field, and whether it’s somebody who you used to work for, or it’s David Spector of ThirdLove, you need to be able to gel well with your mentor so that you can propel your career or your personal life forward. Generally, mentors do not receive a payment for their services, as they choose to help to educate others because they understand the value of their wisdom. There are other mentors out there who enjoyed the challenge that comes with helping people to achieve their goals and the fulfillment that they get with seeing that happen. Mental ships work much like an agreement. You may shadow somebody who is your mentor and learn from them on the job.
You may shadow meetings and ask questions about their career and their understanding so that you can inform yourself better. When you have taken that time to decide who you’d like to have in that role for you as your mentor, you need to schedule a discussion with them to work out any agreement details. But why would you need a mentor in the first place if, in your mind, you are doing perfectly well? Here is why below.
- You have the opportunity to increase your knowledge. Without going back to school, without going to university, you get to increase your knowledge in a specific niche. Whether you start a business or not, go back to college or not, are at the crossroads of changing your career, the mentor that you choose has had an experience with similar milestones. Picking somebody who has been down the same path that you’ve been through is a great way to increase your knowledge and improve your learning. They already have been through at once, so they’ll be able to help you with advice along the way and help you to reduce your stress, to. You also have the chance to be more efficient, because they can connect their experiences with yours.
- You get much needed constructive criticism. If you don’t have a mentor in your life right now, the chances are very high that you don’t get much criticism. You might think that this is a good thing, because who likes criticism? But constructive criticism is going to change the game for you. You need that criticism to determine whether you are on the right path or not and a mentor won’t hold back. Their honesty with you is going to help you to improve your strategy which better reaches your goals. With the right insight, your personal growth is going to be easier to achieve.
- You get to grow personally. Speaking of personal growth, mentors will always look for ways to encourage this. It’s not all about just your career or your professional goals, but the goals you have in your personal life as well. Perhaps you’re looking for advice on how to own your own home one day, or stepping stones for how to get there. A mentor will look for teachable moments that help you to grow along the way. Based on your performance, they may give you another challenge to test you out, or even give you detailed feedback on what you have done well and what you could improve upon. When you need that boost of confidence, they’ll be able to provide you with words of encouragement that help you to boost your personal growth and also help that professional growth along the way.
- They will give you firm boundaries. Successful mentorships are founded on boundaries. Mentors will bring awareness to any issues that could be affecting your well being and your professional life, and they’ll create those boundaries that will work in your favor. For example, if you are burning the candle at both ends and you are staying in your office late into the night, they will nip that in the bud very quickly. It is a myth that working hard means working as many hours in the day as you can find, so make sure that you are aware of the issues that come in your personal and professional life and make sure that you are speaking up and talking about them. With Full disclosure, your mentor will be able to help you nail the future that you are looking for.
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