Professional skills and personal qualities
Along with reviewing their career trajectories, you also want to look for other qualities in mentors, like leadership skills, business acumen, technical knowledge, and endurance. A quick review of prospective mentors' blogs and social media profiles will tell you how willingly they share their knowledge publicly, how actionable their advice is, and what skills they're proud of.
If a prospective mentor is active on LinkedIn, you could also use Emma by Bunch.ai (free on Chrome) to get a quick summary of their personality. There's no guarantee that the results will be accurate, but if the tool believes that the person is collaborative, enjoys coaching, or thrives in a teamwork environment, it's a good sign
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Julie Remington, a professional coach and the head of Learning and Development at Zapier, agrees with these benefits: "A mentor can introduce you to some of the things you don't know—and that you don't know you don't know—in order to get you to the next stage of your career or professional life."
But she also adds even more benefits—namely the support that mentors provide. She says: "It's great to have someone tell you, 'Oh, I've done that. You can do that. It takes X, Y, and Z skills. You have those skills. Let's talk it out a little more.'" Plus, good mentorships offer a safe place to ask questions, Remington says.
There are, of course, various kinds of mentors. Academic mentors can help steer you toward your ideal career path. And workplace mentors—whether it's your own manager, a more experienced coworker, or a colleague from another department—can guide you through challenges at your specific workplace while also advising you on how to advance in your career at the company.
But there's a kind of mentor that's harder to find—and more important to have: a lifelong mentor. As you juggle opportunities and challenges in your career, lifelong mentors act as an anchor. No matter the company you work for, they'll be able to advise you professionally. And that's the kind of mentorship we'll focus on in this article
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Think of the last time you faced a professional crisis: a dearth of clients, salary negotiations, a career switch. Now, imagine how the situation might have improved if you'd had someone to walk you through the steps they took when they were in your shoes.
That's the role good mentors play. They don't provide you with textbook solutions: Instead, they give you a gentle nudge in the right direction.
Sometimes, finding a mentor is a natural process: You lean on a teacher, boss, or coworker for guidance and support. But if you don't have someone in your life who's a clear fit to be your mentor, it doesn't mean you can't have one. This article will offer tips on how to find a mentor, how to approach potential mentors, and how to nurture and maintain the relationship once you've found one.
