Benefits of mentorship

Please take time to read about Mentorship from one of the lecturers at Google Coursera:

"It was Maya Angelou for Oprah Winfrey.?Steven Spielberg for JJ Abrams.?And Warren Buffett for Bill Gates.?It's a mentor and having one can have?a huge impact on your career and your life in general.?Basically, a mentor is a?professional who shares their knowledge,?skills, and experience to help you develop and grow.?About 3 out of 4 people think that having?a mentor is an important part?of professional development.?But studies found only 37 percent actually have a mentor.?As a data analyst,?you're not required to have a mentor,?but those who find a good one never forget them.?Mentors come in many forms.?They can be trusted advisors, sounding boards,?critics, resources or all of the above.?Sometimes the relationship happens naturally,?but usually you need to formally ask them to mentor you?because they might not know?you're interested in their mentorship.?I've tried to seek out mentors?at every stage of my career,?from school to my current role at Google.?It's always good to make sure?your mentors have the time to support your growth?and it's just as important for you to?keep up a professional relationship with them.?On top of a mentor,?a sponsor can also help you in your career development.?But we'll talk more about that a bit later.?It's very important to figure out?what you're looking for in a mentor.?This will help narrow down?your list of potential professionals.?Try thinking about your strengths and?challenges at work and how you'd like to?grow as a data analyst. And share?that openly with potential mentors!?It's also great to think about?shared experiences or common ground.?Maybe you're a veteran who would benefit from?the guidance of a data analyst for the military.?Or maybe you just think you could really benefit?from talking with someone from your hometown.?There's no one right way to find the perfect mentor.?Your mentor doesn't even have to work with you.?If there's no one you can connect?with in your current work environment,?you can find mentors?anywhere from a social media platform,?networking event, or mentor matching program.?For instance, websites like Score.org and?MicroMentor.org and an app called Mentorship?allow you to look for?specific credentials that match your needs.?You can then arrange dedicated times,?maybe on the platform, to meet up or talk on the phone.?Personally, I like reaching out with?a friendly email or message?on a professional networking site.?If you go this route,?take some time to describe your career goals?and how they might align with their own experiences.?Try mentioning some things you?particularly like about their work or published content.?From there you can easily suggest a coffee chat,?virtual meetup, or email exchange to get things going.?Once you've had a few exchanges,?be sure to check in with yourself.?Make sure it's a natural fit?and you're getting everything you need.?It's also a good idea to check in with?your mentor to make sure it's working well for them too.?Remember, this is a partnership.?You and your mentor are equal participants.?The more authentic and honest you?are about it, the better it will go.?For example, it's always a good idea to?share your gratitude for their time and effort.?Now, while a mentor will help you gain?critical skills and navigate challenges at work,?a lot of people find that having?a sponsor can take their career even further.?A sponsor is a professional advocate who's committed to?moving a sponsee's career forward with an organization.?To understand the difference between these two roles,?think of it like this.?A mentor helps you skill up,?a sponsor helps you move up.?Having the support of a sponsor?is like having a safety net.?They can give you the confidence to take risks at work,?like asking for a new assignment or promotion.?Let's talk about how you get a sponsor.?Well, unlike mentors, you?don't get to choose the sponsor.?The sponsor almost always chooses you.?The best course of action is to commit?yourself to do your best work at all times.?There's a good chance someone with?influence will take notice.?Now that we've seen the importance?of networking in relationships,?it's a good idea to take some proactive steps.?First, build and nurture your LinkedIn presence.?Next, look at your current social media presence?and make sure it's helping you put?your best foot forward.?Finally, always be open to?connecting with peers and colleagues.?You never know what great?things a conversation will bring."