by FutureLab | 6 Aug 2019
Many have compared the process of choosing a mentor with other kinds of relationships.
Two of our favourites are these:
Choosing a mentor is like choosing a spouse, but for only a short while
Choosing a mentor is like hiring an employee, in reverse.
Both of these analogies work well for us. Choosing a mentor is like a marriage of sorts because the mentors can make or break your career.
The process of choosing a mentor is quite similar to hiring a new employee for a company. It is a funnel-like process.
When you are faced with a pool of mentors with different qualities and different fields, as you would find at FutureLab, you need to be able to narrow down the pool to the few who would impact your career positively.
First, you will need to focus on the skillsets of mentors, in order to find those who have expertise in the specific skills that you are looking to hone.
Among these mentors, there will be those who started in that field and are still thriving in it. There will also be those who were previously in a different field and have now transitioned.
Decide which of these groups match your experience, or is more likely to have what you are looking for. Also, if you are searching for certain specifics, such as years of experience, level in the hierarchy, this point will be a good place to make that distinction.
By now, you should have a list of mentors who have the necessary skills and experience to help you succeed.
Now, you can focus on personality, IQ, EQ, listening skills and values to choose your mentor. You definitely want to choose someone with a high IQ and EQ.
If you are an introverted person, you may want to choose an introverted mentor to match you, or an extroverted one to emulate.
Also, you need to ensure that your core values match those of the mentor that you will eventually choose. Most importantly, the person you choose should be a person of integrity. This is non-negotiable.
While choosing a mentor, understand that mentors are not life partners, they will not be with you forever. A mentor is there to walk you through that particular phase, and once you have moved on to the next level, you might need a new one.
Now that you know how to make your choice, head on over to FutureLab where we have experienced mentors from different industries waiting to connect with you.
Get connected with FutureLab
FutureLab is an online mentorship platform that connects students, working professionals, jobseekers and entrepreneurs with expert industry mentors across the region to help them gain new skills and insights to enhance their employability and career growth. We also provide our mentoring software for corporations, organizations and learning institutions to upskill and engage their workforce and graduates that increases their efficiency and productivity. Sign up as a mentee or join us as mentors today!
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