“You have got to decide what kind of a life you want and then make it for yourself.” – Marjorie Hillis

During her session with NWMN Career Fulfilment Coach Laura Cloke shared her thoughts on mentorship and the development you can do before you begin a relationship to get the most out of having a mentor. We’ve listed her key takeaways from the session about how to make the most of your mentor relationships. 

You can have as many mentors (unconventional or otherwise) as you need

Mentors come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. You won’t only be mentored by people in a formal relationship.  Managers, colleagues, friends and acquaintances can all provide a mentoring role at different points in your career. You can even take advice and guidance from people you have never met. 

Getting stuck in is the key to career development

Mentors will offer you lots of great advice and guidance but it will only work if you put it into practice. We can get hung up on wanting to do things the “right” way, but great career development often comes through trial and error, and seeing what works for you.

Self-awareness will help you to know what you want and need

No one will be as invested in your career development as you are and you know yourself best. If you can identify your strengths, weaknesses and needs, you will be better placed to know what you want from a mentor relationship. 

Don’t ask what you can google

Time spent with a mentor is precious. You want to make the most of that time by finding out advice and expertise that you can’t find by doing an internet search. Do as much research as you can before you meet with your mentor to make sure you are maximising your time with them. 

Think about the story you want to tell about your development

How we introduce ourselves and what we are looking for from a mentor relationship is powerful. We sometimes lead with our insecurities, rather than focusing on what we want to develop. The story you tell about the challenge you are facing or the support you need will define your relationship with your mentor, make sure it is one that reflects what you are trying to achieve. 

Laura Cloke is a career fulfillment coach who helps people to create careers they love. In 2018 she started the Unconventional Mentors project, to help people to find career advice and guidance in unusual places. You can find out more about the project here.