5 Tips: How to Make the Most of Your Mentor Relationship
By: Michelle De Leon
Rollercoasters are not my friends. I look before I leap. I research and plan before making big life decisions. But how do you plan for a destination you do not know how to get to? You find someone that knows the directions!
A mentor is someone that will guide you on an unfamiliar path. They will connect you to other established professionals to broaden your network and will help you to advance in your career. But most importantly, they have been in your shoes and want to pass down the wisdom they accumulated through making their own mistakes.
Here are five tips to help you make the most of your relationship with your mentor.
1. Jot Down Your Goals
Whether you use task management programs such as Notion or good old-fashion pen and paper, write out your specific career goals. Do you want to be the publicist for a favorite writer? Maybe you want to work on development for a nonprofit organization. By being clear on your goals, you can develop thought-out questions for your mentor, and they can identify ways you can work towards those goals.
2. Be Honest with your Mentor
Your mentor is setting aside time in their busy schedule to help you achieve your goals, and not being honest about your concerns and struggles will only be a disadvantage.
3. Be Open to Criticism
Mentors will encourage you to work towards your goals, but they will also give you advice. Leave your ego elsewhere and take in their suggestions with an open mind. Remember, they are familiar with the journey and can provide a fresh perspective to the challenges you’re facing.
4. Soak it Up and Get to Work
Take in your mentor’s advice and implement it. The advice they give you might be to regularly read trade publications or take a LinkedIn course to strengthen a skill. Set time aside to reflect on their feedback, create a plan, and do it. You cannot improve strictly by osmosis. If you need help holding yourself accountable, give yourself a deadline to accomplish the task.
5. Honor the Relationship
Throughout your career, you will have bosses, colleagues, or industry leaders step into the role of a mentor. These relationships might last a few months or years. Whatever the case is, reciprocate the encouragement they have provided to you. Congratulate them on LinkedIn. Send them a thank you note. Call them up when you find your dream job. Public relations is nothing without relationships and this includes the people that lift us up.
