Mentoring vs Career Coaching

To advance your career in your 20s & 30s, both Mentoring AND Career Coaching are valuable.

But what’s the difference??

And how do you get the most value from each??

Everyone is familiar with Mentoring, and while Career Coaching is growing in popularity, it’s a service that isn’t widely used (yet).?

So let’s first dive into what Mentoring is and isn’t, and then explore the value of Career Coaching.

The Pros and Cons of Mentoring

Mentoring is a non-financial arrangement where guidance is provided to help navigate careers.

A Mentoring arrangement can be formal where people come together under specific conditions, like when companies match junior and senior colleagues to learn from each other.?

A Mentoring arrangement can also be informal where guidance is sought in an ad hoc manner, like asking a colleague how to move between teams.?

Mentoring is based on goodwill, where a Mentor wants the Mentee to do well, and the Mentee is grateful for being gifted the time and space to explore a topic.?

But the biggest upside and downside to Mentoring is that it’s free.?

Mentoring is very popular for those that are early in their careers as they gain great insights at no financial cost.?

The downside though is that everyone is happy to share their opinion when asked, especially when it comes with no stakes.?

Because Mentoring is a non-financial arrangement, it’s critical that both sides are clear on why they’re coming together so that the conversations are worthwhile, and to prevent both sides feeling like they’re asking too little or too much of the other.

The Pros and Cons of Career Coaching

Career Coaching is a financial arrangement where a Client is paying a Coach to help achieve a certain outcome.?

The stakes are clearly defined for both sides, and the engagement will continue so long as the Coach delivers value above the Client’s investment.?

Career Coaching can be for a specific outcome, like negotiating a pay rise, or it can take the form of a sustained engagement which constantly explores opportunities to advance.?

The biggest upside and downside to Career Coaching is that money is involved.?

When you pay for something, you are far more invested in the outcome and you will apply yourself in a different way than if it were free. Similarly, the Coach is fully aligned to achieve results that matter to you.

But discontent can grow when the value falls below the price. And because payment is usually required before an outcome is achieved, there’s always a risk around the ultimate outcome that’s being paid for.

A great Career Coach will do all they can to over-deliver on value and reduce the risk and impact of a poor experience.?

How to Advance Your Career with Mentoring and Coaching

Both Mentoring and Career Coaching will give you an advantage in your career, but they can also work against you if you’re not careful.?

Mentoring is a fantastic means of fostering connections, gaining industry-specific insights and sharing lived experiences.?

The key to an effective Mentoring arrangement is having both sides consider the terms of the engagement clearly. Here are some questions that will help:?

• What is the specific reason you’re both engaging?
• What value can both sides offer to the other??
• What time are both sides willing to give?
• What frequency of communication will work?
• How will both sides like to be contacted??
• When and how will the engagement conclude??

Career Coaching is an amazing advantage for your 20s and 30s because you are fast-tracking the gains that are possible in your career over going it alone.?

Since Career Coaching is a professional arrangement, it’s a lot easier to understand the value you’ll gain for the price you’ll pay.

And when you appreciate that your career is your biggest source of earnings, you will see Career Coaching as an investment in your earnings potential.?

If you’re interested in Career Coaching, here are some questions that will help you find a great Career Coach:?

• What specific outcomes do you want in your career??
• How can you get paid what you’re worth?
• What gaps do you have in your resume that you could close?
• What did people in positions you’re aspiring towards do in their careers??
• What is the process for coaching?
• What investment is required?
• What happens if the arrangement isn’t working??

Thanks for reading this article!

If you're keen to Advance Your Career, please enjoy my online course which will help you:

1. Get clear on what you want
2. Get the job you want
3. Get paid what you’re worth
4. Set yourself up for future success

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