Summary: The Power of Mentorship
Among various tools used nowadays in the pursuit of success in life, one of the most under appreciated strategies is that of mentorship. Mentorship is a way to get guidance and support by the more experienced individuals in this type of symbiotic relationship. Mentorship is usually thought of as a magic wand to find a job and that is why most of the time its value is undermined and underappreciated. Mentorship is a powerful tool which if used properly and actively can result in your personal and professional growth by many folds. The power of mentorship can only be measured by the intangible successes it brings to the mentees life for the years to come.
The Benefits of Having a Mentor
Before you go all out and try to find out the right mentor for you, it is important for you to know the benefits of having a mentor and getting mentored. There are innumerable benefits that mentorship brings to the life of a mentee. Here are a few of the most important ones that most of us can relate to:
- Guidance and Support: The biggest benefit of mentorship to a mentee is the guidance and support in their professional life. Based on different professional experiences, the mentors can guide the mentee and provide advice regarding their career path and next steps to take in their professional life.
- Helps in building confidence: Mentorship can help in building confidence for the mentee by working on the tips given by the mentor. The step-by-step guidance on habits to change, activities to perform, and access to resources on their development adds up quickly in building confidence.
- Enhances Network: Mentors are typically well-connected within their industries and one of their greatest resources is their own network of professionals. The mentorship platform can open doors for the mentee to get connected with hundreds of professionals in various fields.
- Up-to-date Industry information: Mentors are engrained in their own industry/ work, so mentorship can lead you to have access to up-to-date industry information and knowledge. Industry information on what kind of jobs are in demand and what kind of certifications have more value can be helpful for a mentee in early stages of their career path. This information, if available at the right time, can be critical and life-changing for the mentee as it might save money and assist with preparing for potential industry changes.
But the thought that mentorship helps only the mentee is a myth. Mentors also benefit a lot from the mentorship provided to others. Here are a few examples:
- Self-Esteem Booster: Success of a mentee impacts the mentee directly but it also helps the mentor indirectly by boosting confidence and building self-esteem. The feeling of successful mentorship where the mentee has gained knowledge, succeeded in their field and benefited from the mentoring demonstrates that the mentor is capable of assisting others in a positive way.
- Exposure to Variety of Situations: During this process of helping a mentee, the mentor comes across various unique situations, which the mentor helps navigate the mentee through. In turn, this helps the mentor grow internally through expanding their knowledge-base. This mentorship experience makes the mentor more knowledgeable and reliable for future mentorship.
- Responsibility of Giving Back: By nurturing this mentor-mentee relationship, mentors often feel satisfied by giving back to like-minded individuals as they understand the importance of mentorship.
Mentoring, in my opinion and experience, is one of the most passive tools that works in the background but still enables you to get the best out of yourself. If guidance is sought properly, mentors can be massive source of wealth in terms of their experience, network, and expertise.
So, find a mentor who can help you navigate through your professional life and provide the insights and guidance that helps you get ahead. Only by experiencing this process will you truly appreciate the power of mentorship.
