Many of us must have referred to their school or university professors as a mentor, right? We believe that if it were not for them, we wouldn’t learn things that we have.
Similarly, people are required to develop their professional skills to run their company in the business world, specifically in a startup company led by inexperienced young men or women. Therefore, to learn about much-needed professional skills and even guidance, they approach a mentor or a mentorship program. But the question arises here. What is a mentor and how to get a great mentorship experience?
How to Find the Best Mentor
Mentors are seasoned professionals with adequate knowledge and experience related to the professional world who help and guide less experienced professionals. Likewise, mentorship is a mutually beneficial relationship shared by a mentor and the mentee.
Mentees are the lesser experienced professionals who believe in the importance of honing their professional skills. With the help of a mentor, the mentee or the young professionals can ably manoeuvre through various issues that otherwise can hinder their company’s progress. Mentors always carry the mentee’s best interest in their mind and even make changes to their mentorship style to help the mentee better. However, while looking for a great mentorship, you should keep a few things in mind. Such as:
- Have a defined career goal and understand what skills can get you there.
- Know that a mentor relationship is a business friendship. So, you shouldn’t come across as needy and weird and end up asking a question like, “Do you mind becoming my mentor?”
- Start looking for a mentor in your professional network first. You may already know a person who can guide you ably and provide valuable business-related advice and feedback.
- Always look for a mentor who is well associated and known in the related professional network.
You can learn more about what a mentor is in this article.
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