2022 the Year of You – Find a Mentor!

It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day activities and honestly, sometimes you just want to survive. But you want to thrive! And one way you can do this is through finding

I recently joined the Tulsa Chapter of The Association for Women in Communications (AWC). I attended a luncheon where three amazing women were honored for their contributions to the field and students were given scholarship money to pursue the communications field. I started thinking about the importance of two things: surrounding yourself with great people and finding a mentor and being a mentor. When I signed up for a membership to this National Organization, I had the option to sign up for the Mentoring program.

What is a Mentor?

A mentor is an experienced, or seasoned professional, with experience to share. It’s someone to bounce ideas off of, to provide direction and guidance in your professional endeavors. There can be a formal or informal relationship. Sometimes a workplace assigns mentors (the person being mentored is called a mentee).

What do you need to consider about yourself when looking for a Mentor?

Be open to learning.
Be comfortable asking for advice.

Be receptive to new ideas.

Ryan Holiday is a career expert and author of many books, including “The Obstacle is the Way” shares, “To develop a reputation as someone who is teachable, curious, motivated, talented, and above all, well-balanced and reliable is the single best way to attract a mentor.

What should you keep in mind when looking for a Mentor:

Think about someone who is in a role that you are interested in and has some considerable experience that you can learn from. If they are on social media or have written a book you can learn by following them or reading their book.

It’s helpful to find someone in person. Keep your eyes open to who you come in contact with. If you’ve joined LinkedIn, there may be a connect that you can reach out and ask to meet for coffee. You can also set aside time for a Facetime call.

Key tip: it’s helpful to find someone who matches with your personality and who you feel comfortable asking questions of.

Benefits of having a Mentor:

If they’re in your industry, they can give you advice on what options to explore or training and certifications you may need.

Once you’ve reached out: Make a note on your calendar to follow-up. In person meetings are important, but remember that social media is also a great way to maintain contact and further your connection. Use LinkedIn to share articles and recommend books. This also shows that you are learning and growing and that you value your relationship. Also, a thank you (my students know that I’m big on thank you’s!) via email goes a long way to let that person know that you value their time.

I’ll wrap up the season in June and provide some great resources available to a wide audience!

One of the best resources I’ve found to help match people with Mentor’s is SCORE.

Click HERE to learn more about Score or to find a Mentor!