5 Reasons Why Choosing A Mentor Early In Your Career Is the Right Decision

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Mentorship is one of the most underrated aspects of building the foundation of a long-lasting and fulfilling career. So it's no surprise that nearly 70% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs for their people, compared to only a quarter of small businesses.

Unfortunately, while most young jobseekers worry about the potential for career progression when choosing a new job, not many are willing to become mentees.

A mentor has the knowledge and experience needed to excel in your desired field. They have been there, done that, and seen it all. That's why their guidance can be invaluable as they help you navigate unchartered territories and towards your goals.

It's best to find a mentor early on when you begin your career. Think of professors and family members who inspire you, or scroll through your connections on LinkedIn to find someone you admire and want to learn from. Then reach out to them. The chances are that they'll be more than happy to pass on their knowledge to you.

Here are all the reasons why the trouble will be worth it.

5 Reasons Why You Need a Mentor

While you can make it to the finish line and attain your career goals without any help, it becomes easier when you have someone to guide you. A mentor can help you:

1. Find The Right Resources For The Job

No matter what field, you need access to appropriate resources to pave your path to success.

A mentor can find and get in touch with the right people in your industry who can propel you to success. Similarly, they have the experience and means to help you do your job right.

These resources open new doors, making way for great opportunities that might otherwise be inaccessible or hard to come by. Additionally, if your decisions lack foresightedness and don't bring the desired result, your mentor helps you recover from the setback.

Remember, they have spent years dealing with this industry, so they know how to handle most, if not all, challenges of working in your industry. So get a mentor who can help you save yourself from further loss and teach you to succeed.

2. Set SMART Attainable Goals & Achieve Them

For most newbies, goal setting is a blind exercise and more wishful thinking than anything else. But, mentees can set real and achievable goals when they work closely with their mentors.

This is because mentors often use the SMART process to define these objectives. So, as a result of this exercise, mentees have a list of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-sensitive goals, along with the necessary guidance to make them a reality.

This exercise is critical at the onset of a career because it is key to personal and professional development. According to experts, SMART goals can help you achieve 10 times better results. Therefore, you need a mentor who can show you the ropes and ensure you're setting the right goals.

3. Develop Skills and Hobbies Necessary For Career Progression

Listening, compassion, perseverance, integrity, and trust are just a few of the qualities of a good manager and a leader. And since your mentor is already a formidable name and respectable presence in the industry, the chances are that they know how to build these skills.

These soft skills are essential for career success, and the earlier you learn them, the further you'll go. According to a study by Deloitte, two-thirds of jobs will be soft-skill intensive by 2030.

Moreover, your personal hobbies also play a major part in boosting your professional development. So, it's best to find a mentor as early as possible.

They consistently provide feedback to teach you right from wrong. So, you know which practices and habits you need to change to become better.

Having a mentor also teaches you to ask for help instead of being stubborn in a situation. Unfortunately, most people don't have this ability, so they get stuck in a situation and make rash decisions due to frustration. So, identifying your skills is essential to sharpening them and using them in future problems.

4. Offer True and Unbiased Information

Mentors are in the perfect position to offer unbiased insights to you because they have the expertise and experience to back it up.

They have valuable knowledge to help you solve problems and take on opportunities. Additionally, they can provide instructions on using the info to complete tasks and achieve targets.

Moreover, if your mentor is a senior manager at your work, they can show you the company's inner workings, helping you get ahead and build a career fast. All in all, they know how to get ahead because they have lived it, and they can give you access to this information.

The relationship between a mentor and mentee is built on trust, honesty, and transparency. They have your back, they want you to succeed, and they will not shy away from criticising you where necessary. And that's the kind of support that'll propel you to success.

5. Build Your CV For Success In The Job Market

When you first step foot in the professional world, you need references to attract recruiters from big-name employers. Unfortunately, most companies only hire people who have demonstrable experience in the workplace. And if you don't have it, doors will close before you've ever had a chance to open them. According to a study, 24% of recruiters spend only 30 seconds reading through a candidate's CV.

But if you have had an industry leader as a mentor, you should write it on your CV and brighten your chances of acquiring the desired job in the industry. That is because being a mentee means you have had professional training and acquired the skills needed to work in a professional environment.

Wrapping Up

Having a mentor guide you and help you claim your spot in the corporate world can be the ultimate resource at the start of your career. That is why, instead of wasting more time, find or ask someone to be your mentor to guide and direct you along the career path.

Please make sure you are committed to them, give them time regularly, be present when they speak to you, and regularly check in with your mentor to create a beneficial relationship. Also, do your part to inspire them, ask the right questions, and educate them about the challenges you face.

Soon you'll find yourself in a situation where others will approach you to become their mentor. So take your chance now and learn while you can.

To learn more about mentoring or find a mentor, visit PushFar - the world's leading mentoring and career progression platform today.

Author Bio

Andrei Kurtuy is CCO & Co-Founder at Novoresume, one of the top resume builders online. I love to write about job hunting and to help jobseekers set themselves apart in their search.