How to make the best use of a mentor

“Everyone needs a mentor,” they say. And it’s true: Mentors help you get ahead in your career, expand your professional network, and even help you find the confidence to take on new challenges. But how do you go about finding that perfect mentor? Of course, every relationship is different—but there are some general guidelines for making sure your mentorship experience is as helpful as possible:

Finding a mentor.

A mentor is a person who you can go to for advice. A mentor will help you with your career, give feedback on things like resumes or cover letters, and otherwise provide guidance as you make decisions about your future.

A good mentor should also be someone with whom you have a good rapport–you’ll want to make sure that the person is someone who has enough time and energy for their mentees (and vice versa).

How to approach a mentor.

• Be honest about what you want from the relationship.
• Be prepared to give as much as you get.
• Ask for help, but don’t make it all about your problem. If possible, offer a solution or two yourself–and then be open to hearing that they might not work as well as expected! It’s okay if your mentor doesn’t have all of the answers; just knowing someone cares enough about your success will go a long way toward building confidence in yourself and others around you.*

Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable with them either: ask for advice on things like relationships or family issues (if those are appropriate), share some fears or concerns about career choices/direction changes; don’t feel like these topics aren’t worth bringing up because they’re too personal or trivial compared with other things that might come up during mentorship sessions.*

What to expect from your mentor.

• Your mentor will be honest with you.
• Your mentor will be a sounding board for your ideas and questions, as well as an advocate for your career.
• Your mentor should challenge you to think outside of the box, not just within it (but only if it’s appropriate).
• Your mentor should have time for you–that means scheduling regular meetings or phone calls with them so that they can work with you on achieving goals related to their field of expertise.
• Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Best uses of a mentor.

Now that you know what a mentor is and why they’re useful, let’s talk about how they can help you.

• Mentors are great for your career. They can give you advice on how to advance in your field, what skills are needed in the current job market, and more.
• Mentors are great for your personal life. They can help with relationship issues (like marriage counseling), financial problems (like debt management), health issues (like nutrition), etc… Also mentors can be used as sounding boards when making decisions about career paths or other life choices that may impact one’s future happiness/success/security – especially if those decisions involve large sums of money!

When you need to find another mentor.

• Mentors aren’t always the best choice for every situation.
• Mentors can be expensive.
• Finding a mentor is hard, especially if you don’t have a lot of connections in your field or industry.
• But there are other options for getting help!

Every relationship has its own unique dynamic, but there are some general guidelines that can help you make the most of it

Every relationship has its own unique dynamic, but there are some general guidelines that can help you make the most of it.

• Mentors are not counselors or therapists. They’re not there to solve all your problems, give advice on how to deal with your boss or clients, or tell you how they would handle a situation differently than you do in order to teach you something new.
• Mentors are not there to take over your life. If they were, they wouldn’t be mentors; they’d be bosses! Your mentor should know what he/she needs from his/her mentees and won’t ask anything unreasonable of them–but he/she also won’t go out of his/her way for them either (unless this is part of his/her job description). This means that if he asks for certain things from time-to-time–like feedback or input on projects–you should feel comfortable saying no if those things aren’t possible at the moment due to other commitments in order not only maintain good business relationships but also preserve personal ones too!

Conclusion

We hope this article has given you some ideas about how to use a mentor. While every relationship is unique, there are some general guidelines that can help you make the most of it.