How to choose the right mentor for you:

Choosing the right mentor is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to making career moves. This applies whether you want to break into a new field, or to expand within your current line of work.

It is obvious this person should be someone who has successfully navigated the path you wish to follow, as well someone who is trained in coaching and can show evidence of previously successful mentees.

But within this, there are complexities to consider when choosing a mentor, in order to achieve success. Here are some of the key elements to consider:

Experience in the field:

We have mentioned that your chosen mentor should be someone who is experienced in the area you seek to expand in, but how do you measure this? This is about length of time as well as relevant achievements. Consider how many years your potential mentor has worked in the field. You ideally need someone with 15+ years of hands-on experience. Only with this can they truly know the ins-and-outs of the business, and the best way to navigate it.

Experience as a coach:

In addition to hands-on experience in a role, you need to know that your mentor understands how to successfully coach people. Someone with 20 years of in-role experience, but with little to no time working as a professional coach, probably will not yet understand the nuances to understanding and guiding as a mentor. How many years’ worth of coaching experience should your mentor have? We’d feel safe with 5 as a minimum.

Success in the field and as a coach:

Experience comes first, but time isn’t everything. It would also be wise to ensure your new mentor has achieved success. Look for someone who has achieved what you dream of professionally, be it financially or via awards and recognition. Then, be sure to look at what they’ve achieved as a coach; how have previous mentees fared? What have they gone on to achieve? Check references and testimonials from former clients.

Trust:

With the professional qualifications out of the way, let’s look at other areas of importance. Trust is fundamental and you should never work with a coach or mentor who you don’t feel 100% trust with and for. All conversations should be confidential, and, to get the most out of coaching sessions you need to feel safe and secure enough to be open and honest about challenges and needs. This leads to communication….

Communication:

Open, honest, and valuable communication comes from trust. This isn’t about the amount of time you spend communicating with your mentor, but about the quality of that communication. Is your potential mentor open and honest with you? Are you comfortable asking them questions? Do you find them easy to have a conversation with? And importantly are they able to convey information to you in a way you can understand and digest? After all, understanding is the key to all changes.

Commitment and care:

No-one expects a mentor to be on call to answer questions 24/7 but there are other ways a mentor can show they care. How closely do they work with you? Are they content in providing you with video training once a week, or do they undertake in-depth 1-1s? Do they finish your call and say, ‘see you next week’, or are there options to connect beyond this? Are the conversations over when they say so, or is there a support network for the in-between times? Make sure you are getting both quality and quantity when it comes to communication. You deserve nothing less.

Values:

It’s important to work with someone who understands your values, respects you for them, and nurtures them. Think about what you value most in your career. Is it having a work/life balance? Is it making a difference? Is it honestly? Positivity? Adaptability? Once you have worked out your own values find out how these align with your mentors.

Personality:

Personality is where all of the above can be tied up with a neat bow. It’s a combination of trust, care, commitment, values, communication, confidence, honesty, openness and - most importantly - simply whether you gel with your new mentor. Personality traits vary from person to person and no two are the same, so it would be impossible to define exactly what you need. But if all the above fall into place, chances are you’ve found the mentor to guide you into your next chapter.