Can a Career Mentor Help You Get Ahead?

Looking for a job can be a solitary process. But there is no rule saying that you can’t enlist some help. In fact, many professionals – with jobs and without – now work with career mentors to get advice, objective opinions, and industry insights. If you’re not where you want to be in your career, a mentor could be the piece that’s missing. Here’s why:

Rely on Tried and Tested Methods

The best career mentors are people who have worked in the same position, field, and/or industry as you. That means whatever successes and setbacks you experience are likely very familiar to your mentor. You can take advantage of their background to help you make the most of opportunities and avoid common pitfalls.

Stay Positive During Tough Times

No career follows a perfect upward trajectory. Most are a series of ups and downs, and sometimes those downs can leave you feeling confused, frustrated, stressed, and uncertain. Career mentors help you to stay positive during these tough times and provide the kind of support that you may not be able to get from co-workers, friends, or even family.

Share Common Objectives

People who excel as career mentors typically have inquisitive minds and ambitious personalities. That means that even if they are retired they are still trying to pick up new skills, develop better ideas, and remain relevant to their industry. Partnering with one of these mentors can help you to refine your own skill set and knowledge base in meaningful ways.

Commit to a Higher Standard

It’s awfully easy to cut yourself breaks. But when you have someone like a career mentor pushing you to do better, be more, and to stop making excuses, you begin to push yourself and your career forward. You may hear some harsh criticisms in the process, but those kinds of tough-love observations can prove to be powerful motivators.

Grow Your Professional Network

Career mentors are not exclusively networking tools, but that is one of the major benefits of this kind of relationship. Your mentor will likely have lots of contacts in the industry, know about opportunities sooner, and have a healthy amount of influence. Those are all connections that you can use to your advantage. Plus, since your mentor knows you so well both personally and professionally, he or she is uniquely capable of serving as your advocate.

Remember that a career mentor is a resource not a crutch.  They can be a big help to your career, but you still need to put in the time, work, and heavy lifting yourself.  To get more advice on enhancing and expediting your job search, contact the employment experts at INSPYR Solutions today.