College Success = Career Success
FINDING A MENTOR
Throughout this book we’ve talked about the importance of finding and using personal supports, and in this chapter we explored the value of having a mentor (both in college and at work) who can provide information, advice, guidance, and feedback to help you grow. In some cases these relationships can last a lifetime and become extremely meaningful to both the mentor and his or her protégé.
To get started finding an academic or a professional mentor, answer these questions:
What would you like to learn from your mentor? What type of guidance or support could he or she offer you? Are these forms of support valuable to you? If so, why?
How would you communicate with your mentor, including how often and where?
How could you show appreciation to your mentor for his or her help?
Do you have anyone specific in mind as a mentor? If so, how might you establish a mentoring relationship with this person? What would you say or do? If you don’t have anyone specific in mind, how could you find someone who might make a good mentor?
Once you’ve answered these questions, take action: Establish your mentoring relationship. Then sustain it by making good use of your mentor’s support while letting him or her know how much you appreciate the help.