The Value of a Mentor

by Christeen Akkarawatte | 9 Mar 2018

Growing up is hard, first you have to go through primary school, high school, get those grades to help you get into university. Then once you’re done with university, you've got to find yourself a job. Once you graduate, you begin to realize that you’re on your own.

Here’s where a mentor comes in.

Even though ‘mentor’ is a rather formal word, it’s not always a formal relationship. That person(s) could be your friend, your parent, sibling or even lecturer.

Sometimes, at times like this, you need someone to give you encouragement or help push you in the right direction; someone who knows how you are, and understands your current situation.

When you come to think of it, why is having a mentor, or better yet, mentors, so important and valuable?

A mentor is always there to push you to your limits

They know the potential you have within you, even when you’re suffering from a creative block or a personal situation.

They help motivate you to do better and even just knowing that they are there to step you through anything that you’re having trouble with, will help you keep moving forward.

Mentors also help provide a different perspective, regardless of their age and background.

It’s the experience that counts and it’s their experience that will help you learn and achieve success. Professionally, mentors expand your network, which benefits your career opportunities. However, a mentor is not always an expert, but they are always there to help you out regardless.

Advice from mentors can help in decision-making

Mentors are there to only advise you, it is you in the end, making the decisions. We cannot expect our mentors to always be there to make decisions for us. You begin to learn, only when you make decisions yourself. And this will also help you think of the repercussions that could occur as well. But don’t worry, I’m sure your mentor will be right by your side.

Mentor-mentee relationships can be life-long

Yes, over time you do get busy with work but making the time to catch up with the mentor(s) that has helped you during the crucial parts of your career / life is important. I’m sure your mentor would appreciate it if you do give that call / email once in a while to show that you still appreciate the work they put in for you and you continue to make them proud.

Now that you’ve reached the end of this article, did it remind you of your mentor(s) or has it inspired you to be one?

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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