Use a Mentor for Your Career Success

Coaching and Mentoring

There are many benefits to a career mentorship, for both parties.

Mentees gain the benefit of someone's experience to help them navigate their career development.

Mentors have the opportunity to reflect on their careers.

Clear Goals

Having clear goals and communicating these will ensure that the experience is positive and productive.

Mentoring is a relationship that is established with someone who is an expert in their field.

The mentor is usually older and more experienced than the mentee.

The mentor shares their experiences, and the lessons they have learned.

双方的利益

But the relationship benefits both the mentor and the mentee.

The mentor benefits from the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills. The mentee receives career guidance and helpful career advice to prepare for the next level in their career.

Many companies have formal mentoring programs in place for matching new employees with those already established in their career.

If you are choosing your own mentors here are five tips to ensure a successful mentoring relationship:

1. Find a Good Career Mentor

Is knowledgeable in their field
Is generous and honest with advice
Is a good communicator
Is committed to the relationship
Will get to know their mentee: her/his capabilities, interests and goals
将为媒体职业发展和道路提出建议
Will create learning opportunities and heighten the mentee's career
Will introduce the mentee to key people and professional organisations

2. Choosing a Career Mentor

选择你钦佩的人
Look outside your immediate work area * maybe your boss's boss.
Choose someone in another area of your organisation who has had a career path similar to your goal.
找到多个导师（我有客户在正式关系中使用多个导师）。

To find a career mentor outside of your organisation, join professional associations where you can meet senior people and executives in your field.

3. Setting up the Mentor/Mentee Relationship

Before seeking a mentor's assistance, make a plan. What do you expect from your mentor? What do you want to focus on? How much time do want to commit to this relationship? It is important for you to be clear about your expectations for your own benefit and in order to communicate this to your potential mentor.
Invite the potential mentor to lunch or coffee to discuss your intention. Mentors appreciate the recognition and are willing to share their knowledge and wisdom.
At the meeting, effectively communicate your need for a mentor, your vision of the future. Define the relationship and why you would like this person to be your career mentor.
Find out how involved the potential mentor wants to be in this relationship.
Give them a chance to think about it, tell them you will get back to them in a couple of days.

4. The Relationship

Set up the parameters of the relationship together, how often, when & where you will meet, and the length of the meeting.
Respect your mentor's time. Show up on time for your meetings. If you have to cancel your meeting, give at least 24 hours’ notice.
Set up boundaries for phone calls. Between meetings call only f absolutely necessary.
通过组织您的材料和您想要讨论的主题，有效地使用预定的会议。
Pay for your own meals and drinks or offer to pick up the tab for your mentor's meal.
If you are given an assignment, complete it on time.
通过提供以任何方式帮助您的导师来表示赞赏。发送感谢您的电子邮件，传达这种关系如何帮助您或发送礼物以识别导师的特殊日子。
Recognise when the relationship is winding down, communicate this, and wrap it up. If you would like to stay in touch with occasional updates of your career successes, clear it with your mentor at the end of the relationship.
Obtain approval from your mentor before using them as a reference.