Becoming a mentor is a role that will bring both you and your mentee a rewarding and beneficial experience. You will learn much about yourself, as well as the person you are mentoring. There are some skills that you will need to have before embarking on such a position, but once you have them, they are transferable to all aspects of your life. Most importantly, they will ensure that you provide your mentee with the right advice and inspiration to utilize going forward. Here are four essential skills to be a career mentor.
Listen
Having the ability to listen is a must in life. You are the one who is taking the guiding role, but every person is different, and they will have different needs, goals and will be receptive to different types of guidance. For you to find the right methods, you are going to have to listen to what your mentee wants and any difficulties they are having. Listening means listening to what they have to say with an open mind and not just hearing what you want to hear.
Inspire
Inspiration is key. Anyone who has chosen to find a mentor is looking for some kind of inspiration so they can better their own career path going forward. You need to be someone they can look up to. By doing this, they will be more likely to listen to you. Look at yourself and see where you can improve and keep improving while carrying out your role as a mentor. If you don’t have a college degree, get one. There are few things more inspiring than seeing someone go back to college and get a degree. Student loans from private lenders can help you pay, and your mentee will know they are learning from someone who is driven and motivated.
Honesty
If you want your mentee to develop, you are going to need to be completely honest with them. This might not always be easy, especially until you have built up a good relationship. However, it is a skill you will need to have, otherwise you aren’t giving your mentee the best advice and failing in your role. You will also have to understand that they might not like what you tell them. In this case you can’t take it personally, it’s part of the process and even if they don’t take on board your advice, you are doing your best for them.
Ability to Bond
Building up a bond with the person you are advising will be beneficial to you both. A bond will mean that you are truly invested in them going forward to achieve success. By not having any connection, it will be far more difficult to motivate yourself and in turn motivate them. Develop your people skills, and even if you are working with someone you find difficult, still look for their positive traits. Over time, you will find the bonding process easier and it’s also a skill that you can take into the wider world.
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