How to find a career mentor

Want to learn from the experience of someone successful in your industry? Having a career mentor can bring huge benefits to your professional life.

What is a career mentor?

A career mentor is someone who can share their knowledge and expertise with you and guide you through your career choices. They could be someone in your own company or someone you admire who has found success in your industry.

Some companies offer a formal mentorship scheme, but if you don’t have access to one, it’s worth the effort of finding a mentor yourself. Here are just some of the main benefits a mentor can bring to your career:

They can help you stay focused – a career mentor can help you set career goals and stick to them.

They can give you access to opportunities – your mentor could let you know about opportunities before they reach the open market, introduce you to important people or provide insider information about your industry.

They can share their experiences – having a career mentor who has done it all before means you can learn from their successes, and their mistakes.

They can help you see the bigger picture – a mentor can help you take a step back and see your career as a whole, as well as challenge you to take a more critical approach to your professional development.

They can help you network – your career mentor could give you access to their own extended professional network and valuable connections, which can benefit your career for years to come.