Member Article

The missing ticket from your CV: Career expert reveals why everyone should have a mentor

Everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to Meryl Streep have attributed their success to having mentors, and while almost 60% of people in the UK admit to having experienced feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome at work, only 15% of people spoke to a mentor for support.

The recent data gathered by world leading mentoring platform, PushFar, highlights the advantages of having a mentor ahead of National Mentoring Day (27th October), a day dedicated to celebrating and driving awareness for mentoring opportunities.

What is a mentor?

A mentor is a skilled individual who provides help and support to another, getting to know their challenges and experiences and uses their own learnings to provide valuable advice.

What’s the benefit of having a mentor?

Guidance and support

Whether you’re looking to progress in your career, or even want to change role entirely, Ed Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of PushFar advises “mentoring can help you navigate any challenges by offering advice, helping you set achievable goals and supporting in your decision making.” They can also provide constructive feedback, helping you develop your skillset.

Increase confidence

Feelings of self-doubt are not uncommon in professional environments, but it can sometimes hold you back from achieving your full potential. Ed says, “while confidence is not something that can be taught, a mentor can provide you with reassurance, and remind you of your successes, helping you to believe in yourself.”

Develop industry knowledge

Speaking regularly with someone experienced in your industry or has held a similar role, can provide you with valuable knowledge you may not pick up on in the day-to-day workplace. “Your mentor will be able to advise on situations they’ve most likely experienced firsthand, providing you with genuine advice you can trust” advises Ed.

Expand your network

A professional network can help you find new opportunities and build relationships within your industry and an experienced mentor can help you find and expand this network. “Having someone who has already established their professional network introduce you and advise on how to build relationships can be hugely valuable” adds Ed.

Grow your career

It can be easy to be distracted by the day-to-day and not realise how far you’ve progressed in your career or role. A dedicated mentor can help you track your growth, and highlight how much you’ve accomplished, and provide insights into growth opportunities. “Mentors are brilliant for encouraging self-reflection, helping you take a step back and identify how far you’ve come.”

How do I find a mentor?

There are plenty of ways to source mentors, from networking at events or on LinkedIn to speaking to colleagues, family or friends. Alternatively, you can turn to a dedicated mentoring platform such as PushFar, which uses a smart algorithm to match you to a dedicated mentor, and the opportunity to manually search their database for one.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucy Seller .