Mentors: Your Career Guides

mentors are a HUGE asset for career making and breaking.  The right mentor will become your best friend and confidant.  The wrong mentor will be a source of frustration and heartburn.

I have 4 mentors.

#1 - God is my first mentor (Who better to tell you how to act and make decision?  Ever hear of Proverbs? Check it out if you need advice on your career.  Seriously. Consider it.)

" ¹ The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

   ² for gaining wisdom and instruction;
   for understanding words of insight;
³ for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
   doing what is right and just and fair;
⁴ for giving prudence to those who are simple,^[a]
   knowledge and discretion to the young—
⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning,
   and let the discerning get guidance—
⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables,
   the sayings and riddles of the wise.^[b]

#2 - I have an overall career mentor (he owns his own advertising/marketing company outside of Chicago) and has a philosophy to do good.  One piece of advice he's given me is this:

"Whatever you do, ask yourself, how does this help make the world better?"

#3 - I have a mentor at my job (she was my original hiring manager and is someone whom I deeply respect).  I have learned a great deal from her in terms of how to be a leader and be a team player and leader.

#4 - This is an open position.  Seriously, though, this represents all those whom I have yet to come in contact with that can teach me how to be better at what I do and more helpful to those I serve, professionally and personally.  Always have an open mind when it comes to people around you.  They are a wealth of information and you'll be surprised at the lives around you if you stop to listen.

Getting a mentor

Try to read up on what a mentor is before you explore this route.  The University of Chicago has a good program.  While I didn't go through them, my overall career mentor is part of this program and anything he's affiliated with has integrity so I feel confident to provide it as a resource.

If you're a college student, ask your advisor for advice on who they know who might be good professional mentors for you.  Becky Archer of University of Maryland and James Stick at Franklin & Marshall are two good examples of professors and staff who are good at connecting students with potential career mentors and related professionals.

You can start the relationship by connecting with the person and asking for an informational interview (this is just a fancy way to hearing about what they do and who they are).  If, after the conversation, you'd like to know more and think you can learn from the person, ask them if they're consider being a mentor.

Keeping a mentor
Maintaining the relationship is your responsibility and you should respect your mentor's time.  Don't call about every problem you have.  Respect they're time and they will be great assets to you.  They are the people in your life that you should listen to and should listen to you to get you on the right path to career decision-making.