Ask a Recruiter: How Do I Find a Mentor?
Welcome to CB’s work-advice column that includes Emily Durham, a Toronto-based senior recruiter at Intuit, public speaker and content material creator recognized for her humorous and relatable TikToks about all issues work. Each month, Durham will reply reader questions on matters that have an effect on our skill to thrive in our jobs, and she or he’ll supply her real-world insights on methods to deal with even probably the most rock-and-a-hard-place conundrums. Have a work-related query? Send it to editor@canadianbusiness.com.
Q: I’ve been working for about 10 years, and will actually profit from a mentor to assist me take my profession to the subsequent degree. I’d like to bounce concepts off somebody in my trade, and be capable to flip to them for skilled recommendation. I’ve heard so much about mentorship alternatives for people who find themselves beginning out of their careers, however I don’t actually know methods to discover a mentor now that I’m extra superior in my profession. Where ought to I begin?
You aren’t alone—many people need mentorship, however aren’t positive the place to search out it. In reality 76 per cent of individuals assume having a mentor is vital, however solely 37 per cent even have one. It’s no secret that mentorship can quick monitor our private {and professional} development with candid recommendation, exterior perspective and entry to alternatives.
The first step to find a mentor is knowing what sort of relationship you’re on the lookout for. Do you need somebody who is very analytical to assist you in creating your vital considering abilities? Someone who has a artistic thoughts, to push you to assume large? Or an trade professional who’s at present working in your dream job? There aren’t any unsuitable solutions, however the extra particular you’re about what you need, the extra strategic you could be in your mentor search.
How to discover a mentor
So, the place are you able to meet a possible mentor? Like most relationships, discovering the fitting particular person doesn’t all the time occur by chance, and would possibly take just a little bit of labor.
Start by wanting round at your present place of job, the place you’re prone to be surrounded with like-minded professionals. Referring again to what you’re on the lookout for in a mentor, is there somebody who would possibly match the invoice? As we proceed to return to in-person occasions, one other place to satisfy potential mentors is trade networking classes or seminars. Not solely are these occasions a tremendous strategy to increase your community, however oftentimes natural IRL conversations result in one thing extra.
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But my private favorite place to satisfy mentors simply so occurs to be on my sofa. Yes, you learn that proper. The entire function of social media is to foster connections! Use LinkedIn or Instagram to determine professionals to achieve out to. Send a fast observe outlining who you’re and what you do, and ask for a fast espresso chat to be taught extra about their profession. I recognized certainly one of my mentors on LinkedIn and despatched a chilly InMail message requesting a 30 minute dialog to be taught extra about her profession. That telephone name morphed right into a five-year relationship that has essentially impacted my profession.
Maintaining a mentorship relationship
Once you meet somebody that sparks your curiosity, what must you do subsequent? How do you make it official? The first step in constructing a mentor-mentee relationship is that preliminary dialog. Book a half-hour, and deal with studying extra in regards to the particular person’s profession to ensure they’re the fitting match for you. As the one that initiated the assembly, it’s your function to develop an agenda for the dialog. It needn’t be overly structured or formal, however it’s vital that you’ve got a set of questions lined up. Some of the most effective matters to inquire about are their profession journey, their largest learnings of their function and the way they’ve overcome obstacles.
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Check in with your self after the chat. Is this somebody you need to be taught from sooner or later? If so, attain out to them by way of e-mail and ask if they’re open to connecting each 4 to eight weeks to assist you in your profession journey. After your first few conferences, the dialog will move extra naturally, and chances are you’ll discover you not want an agenda.
Mentorship actually is so simple as placing your self on the market, and being considerate in regards to the individuals and conversations you find time for. With a bit of labor, and a number of consistency, your future self will thanks for investing in mentorship.
