Here’s a secret that will get you achieving your career goals faster: find a mentor. Most successful people you know have gotten to where they are now with the help of a mentor. Someone who acts as a role model and guide, who helps navigate their career path using their own valuable experience.
You have probably thought about mentors in our day-to-day lives. Growing up, we come in contact with certain people who positively shape our beliefs and behaviors to make us the people we are today. But you may not have considered the idea of having a career mentor. Here are 4 powerful ways that having a mentor can boost your career success.
1. They Will Guide You From Experience
Your mentor has been where you are now, and has taken the career journey that you are on. Because of this, they hold valuable knowledge that you can’t find in a book or even a course. Having a career mentor means you will have a guide to keep you on the right path towards your career goals.
Because your mentor has been up against all the obstacles along the way to success, they will be able to prepare you to overcome those obstacles if and when you get to them. Your mentor will help you to reach career goals much faster than you could alone.
2. They Will Motivate and Inspire You
Your mentor is your living proof that what you are aspiring to professionally is possible. If they can do it, so can you! Your mentor acts as a role model, and will inspire you. Learn as much as you can from your mentor. Notice what beliefs and behaviors they have which have gotten them to where they are now, then copy those techniques.
Your mentor will be able to see the potential in you, even when you can’t see it clearly yourself. They will drive you to live up to that potential, to put in a little extra work and a little extra time. Even if you’re already a motivated person, having someone outside yourself who is pushing you forward can help you achieve a lot more.
3. They Will Help You Set Goals (And Stick To Them!)
Your mentor will help you to come up with goals that are both realistic and inspiring. They will use their knowledge and experience to help you map out the steps along the way. They’ll break down the huge goals into smaller, more achievable goals towards your ideal career.
Your mentor will also act as someone you are accountable to. They will be watching your progress and will notice if you stop trying or stop taking those steps along the path. When you get off track, they will be there to give you that extra nudge to get you back on track.
4. They Will Provide You with the Tools To Succeed
There are a number of ways that your mentor can help you to reach career success, and many of them come down to the tools they have picked up along the way. Your mentor will be able to share these tools with you, giving you a significant head start over others.
Your mentor will have a large network of associates in your industry, and might be able to introduce you to important people you may never have met on your own. Your mentor will have lots of excellent ideas when it comes to solving problems or doing things more effectively. They’ll also have access to resources that might otherwise be hard to find, like software or specific books.
In Summary
A mentor will use their own experiences to help guide your journey towards your goals. They’ll act as a role model that you can shape your behaviors after. They’ll give you encouragement to stick to your goals, and provide you with the tools that give you a head start.
Having a mentor will significantly kick start your career, no matter where you are at with your career goals. It’s a method that most of the successful people you know have used to get to where they are now. It works so well, it’s almost like a cheat code for career success.
Thank you Robert for the tips. These tips are really helpful. I learn few things from here. Great work.