Being Mentored in your Career

The Benefits of Being Mentored

As well as there being numerous benefits to having a mentor, there is also a level of responsibility also - to yourself and to your mentor, who is investing their time in your future. There is a responsibility to be present physically and mentally so that you can get the most out of the experience, to be open to potential criticism or ways that you can improve yourself and your way of thinking in order to achieve your goals.

Mentoring is a Unique Opportunity
Mentoring is not training, a relaxed chat, or formal supervision. It is a unique relationship that takes participants out of their day-to-day activities to plan for their future and strategise how they will achieve their goals.

Things to note about a mentoring relationship

• They focus on the needs of the mentee.
• Mentors share their personal insight based on experience; it;s not something that you could learn at business school of read in a text book.
• You've probably had mentors in the past and possibly didn't realize it at the time. Being formally mentored invites you to look back on your life to identify past mentors that have helped shape your thoughts and your belief system, and to appreciate and revaluate it.

Helping Your Mentor to Help You

• Make sure that you communicate to your mentor what your needs are.
• Feel comfortable and be honest an open - your mentor is somebody you can trust in confidence.
• Be ready and willing to develop and change yourself - be open to admitting that there are ways in which you can improve

Finding a Mentor

If you don't have a mentor in mind, there are a number of ways that you can find a potential mentor:

• National Careers Service
• Find a mentor by region in the UK
• Online mentoring and coaching network

Don't be afraid to ask for help

Seek the assistance of people you know, and let people know that you are looking for a mentor, and articulate the type of person you are hoping to build a relationship with. You'll be surprised how willing others are to help you get connected with the right people!

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