MENTOR CALLOUT!!! Why Mentorship IS STILL the BEST INVESTMENT, I have made in my life.

Mentorship is the verb I wish we used more of in our daily lives.

Why? Because it's life-changing.

Mentoring itself is the act of sharing experiences with those less experienced than yourself. Note, this was not about age, education or title. It's simple, less experience.

The 1st time I independently opted in for mentoring was my final year of university. With a limited number of places available, the programme leads were confused and asked me why?

"You have the confidence, and you have the charisma, you are hard-working - why do YOU need this programme?"

I replied honestly, something along the lines of #

"Yeah, that's all well and good, but with those assets come complications - I don't quite fit in anywhere, I am still not able to get a job and have no idea what I can do with my career. I need guidance, support and encouragement."

That particular programme had over 300 participants. I was not anyone's first choice though I could recognise and persist that I needed a mentor that set me apart from the other participants. I set up regular meetings, did the homework and took time to listen. As a result, my mentor and I WON the best improvement award - an accolade I still hold dear today.

That belief in me, my abilities, and my confidence helped me secure a graduate job, negotiate my subsequent pay rise, and even start this business.

I have since actively sought mentors at every stage in my life - messaging them when I am confused, ringing them when I need advice and organising tea when we want to celebrate our wins.

Fast forward to today, the power of mentoring is so crucial that Like Minded Females (LMF Network) launched the most extensive virtual programme in 2021 and are curating it into our leading service in 2022. Why? Because mentorship is the best investment, you can make for yourself and someone else - to enrich their confidence, capabilities and career.

Mentorship IS STILL the BEST INVESTMENT I have made in my life.

We've received immense feedback, with a 98% success rate helping people achieve new careers, earn salary rises of ￡25K and even start their own business!

Mentorship isn't just about improving the mentee, but reverse mentoring helps to provide new perspectives and ways of working for mentors. This itself can benefit careers, capabilities and confidence. Mentors are humans at the end of the day, wanting to improve their lives - mentorship provides opportunities to learn, listen and lean into new ways of working.

GET INVOLVED IN 2022

We want everyone to experience mentorship, so for 2022's LMF Mentoring programme, we are offering 5 PAY IT FORWARD SPACES FOR MENTORS.. to encourage, learn and share.

More about the programme:

• 3-month mentoring programme alongside the IWD theme of #breakingthe bias
• 1-hour minimum time commitment per month
• Three career-based workshops, lunch & learns as well as networking opportunities
• Resources include an interactive mentoring journal, resource pack and training
• Bonus material: 2 recorded seminars and access to the broader LMF Library

If you are interested in signing up as a mentor, please use this form

Deadline 23rd February 2022.

LMF Network Website

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SONYA BARLOW IS AN AWARD-WINNING ENTREPRENEUR, FOUNDER OF?@LMFNETWORK , DIVERSITY COACH, TEDX SPEAKER, LINKEDIN CHANGEMAKER 2021, LINKEDIN TOP VOICE 2022, RADIO HOST?BBC ASIAN NETWORK'S THE EVERYDAY HUSTLE ?AND AUTHOR OF?UNPREPARED TO ENTREPRENEUR .

IN 2020, SHE WAS NAMED AS ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN TECH (COMPUTERWEEKLY), WINNER OF THE WOMEN IN SOFTWARE CHANGEMAKERS (MAKERS AND GOOGLE), TOP 50 BAME ENTREPRENEURS (TECHROUND), FUTURE SHAPER 2020 (MARIE CLAIRE), AND FORBES 30 UNDER 30 SHORTLIST RUNNER UP 2021. SHE HAS DELIVERED TWO?TEDX TALKS ?AND IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS AN INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER. SONYA HAS HAD HER ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN METRO NEWSPAPER, SIFTED EU, AND TELEGRAPH.

As you know, LinkedIn Changemakers is a force-for-good, always-on campaign, spotlighting individuals like yourselves, whom each represents causes that impact the world of work; Mental Health, The Future of Work, Gender Equality, Racial Equality, LGBTQ+ Equality, Equality for professionals with Disabilities, Sustainability, and overcoming Unemployment/Career Setbacks. With LinkedIn's vision being "to drive economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce", the Changemakers programme is just one of several initiatives by LinkedIn to show their stance that everyone should have equitable access to opportunity and work. LinkedIn is also partnered with?UK Youth ,?10,000 Black Interns , and?MyKindaFuture's ?Connect ?programme in the UK. Find out more here .

This article was written as part of the LinkedIn #Changemakers campaign – a campaign shining a spotlight on individuals using LinkedIn to drive genuine change in the world of work. To find out more about the partnership, read more here. And if you want to join the conversation, share the one thing you'd like to change about the world of work in a post on LinkedIn with the hashtag #ConversationsForChange.