Tweet

Finding the Right Mentor

Written by: Mickey Parsons

Article Overview: Successful businesspeople often wax eloquent about the benefits of having a mentor. Unfortunately, they often skip over the part where they tell you how to find one. How can you find the right person to guide you in your career? And how do you approach that person once you do? Here are some guidelines and tips that can help you find a good mentor.

Finding the Right Mentor

Successful businesspeople often wax eloquent about the benefits of having a mentor. Unfortunately, they often skip over the part where they tell you how to find one. How can you find the right person to guide you in your career? And how do you approach that person once you do? Here are some guidelines and tips that can help you find a good mentor.

Once you’ve decided that you want a mentor, check to see if your current employer, college alma mater, or other organization with which you’re associated has a formal mentoring program in place. If not, it’s time to begin the search on your own.

When looking for a mentor, seek out someone who has expertise in his or her profession or specialty. This person should be someone you admire and respect, be a good communicator, have a caring attitude, and make you feel comfortable. Your ideal mentor should be passionate and enthusiastic about his or her profession — and it won’t hurt if your mentor is well connected, too.

Although a mentor may be someone you work with, you’re probably better off with someone who works someplace else. Don’t ask your direct supervisor to be your mentor; it’s better to have someone with whom you can talk freely about career and workplace issues. Although some mentees prefer older, more experienced mentors, don’t overlook peer mentors. Sometimes the people who have the best solutions to problems are the people facing those problems themselves. Mentors can also be found through professional associations. Some associations even have mentoring programs where they match up experienced and inexperienced colleagues. And remember, a mentor doesn’t necessarily need to be the same gender or in the same specialty as the mentee.

Once you’ve decided on a mentor, approach that individual and ask if he or she would consider being your mentor. Depending on the individual and your current relationship, your proposal will vary in the amount of detail and how it is delivered. At the very least, let the person know what why you selected him or her and what you hope to learn from the association.

If you’re contacting someone who does not know you, send a letter of introduction indicating that you will be calling in a week’s time. Your letter should state your interest in learning more about that person and your desire to meet to get some advice and feedback. Once you’ve made contact and established the relationship, ask if that individual would be willing to mentor you.

If you’ve been considering looking for a mentor, don’t put it off any longer. Even if the person you choose declines to be your mentor — and that just might happen — he or she will certainly still be flattered that you asked.

Finding a mentor takes some work, and it involves some risk. But you’ll find that the benefits that you can reap from working with a mentor will be worth the effort you put into the search.

Related Articles
  The Power and Profit of Mentorship
  Why Small Business Entrepreneurs Need a Mentor
  Mentoring, An Essential Part Of Forex Success
  How To Effectively Use Business Mentoring
  Do you have a mentor

Article Tags:



Related Forum Posts
Famous Entrepreneur Question? - First name to come to mind was Sam Walton. After reading his aoutbiography, I feel so connected to him. My one Question would be...(after getting on one knee) "Would You Mentor Me?''
On Mentors - I've been fortunate that in every endevour I've taken on I have found a Mentor within that niche to guide me and help me learn from my mistakes. I've matured so much faster and more focused just by having someone listen to where i am at in my current day and in having someone to be accountable to. I've been blessed by having mentors naturally come into my life but if I wanted to approach one how would I go about developing the relationship and then asking them to mentor me?
A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!! - This is to my Mentor{ideauniversity} who invited me here,A Big thank you to you for giving me the opportunity and having so much hope in me,because of you have being able to learn so much in this forum which has improved my business skill. A Big thank you to all my new friends who have helped me express myself and also contributed to my growth through your post and answers you have given to my post. Thanks Evan and Kevin for giving me this oportunity. cheers. Tope
Re: Email Marketing - Yes, true. What kind of changes happened in Email campaigns except the opt-in? Finding the exact target and reaching them is always a challenge. What new methods can we have to reach the new customers? Thanks Robert
Re: Where is the best place to find a web developer? - That's a really tough one. Finding a business partner is like finding a wife - it takes a lot of trust to get the right one. I would try to hang out at tech-related startup events and see if you hit it off with anybody. Good luck!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Work at home Opportunities for the Disabled

What is the bottom line to you?

The State of the Sustainable Furniture Industry

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.