A mentor is someone who is in the same or similar industry as you but is further along in their career. Because they have a greater body of knowledge and experience, they are able to teach you invaluable lessons that you’d otherwise have to learn the hard way. Here are four reasons why you need a mentor:
You won’t make avoidable mistakes
- Mistakes can be some of your biggest teachers if you’re able to learn from them
- Your mentor has probably made mistakes, and by learning from them, you can get a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card that can help you avoid unnecessary mistakes in your own career
Streamline your learning
- Seek guidance from a mentor who is further along in their career and has learned more than you
- You can benefit from their hard-earned knowledge and hit the fast-forward button on your own journey to achieve greater success
- A few years down the line, maybe you will be able to offer similar guidance
A sense of community
- Real and meaningful connections seem to be waning as more and more jobs are remote
- Consult with a mentor to learn targeted and relevant skills, ask specific questions about your field, and receive advice that can help you succeed
- Even if it’s conducted via phone or email, this real and true sense of connection can be a powerful step toward fostering a feeling of community in your field
Become self-sufficient
There’s a famous adage that goes “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Rather than offering up a how-to guide or a lesson plan for how to be successful, a mentor’s job is to help guide you to become self-sufficient.
