6 Considerations For Choosing A Mentor
Choosing a mentor can be a rewarding option in a number of ways. Having an industry-veteran show you the ropes can be enlightening and professionally important. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you should take up any opportunity that comes your way, however. To start with, consider these six things:
1. Is The Mentor Doing what You Want To Be Doing?
Sometimes it can be tempting to take up a mentor on an offer just because they are successful. Success usually comes with other stresses and responsibilities as well, however. Before choosing a mentor, ask yourself if you need the level of success that they have, or whether that level of success would be worth the additional stresses and responsibilities.
2. Do You Like The Mentor?
This may sound like a silly question, but it is important. After all, you may be about to become very close to this person for quite a while. Besides, if you don’t get along with the person, it may tell you something about the effect that their position or leadership style may have had on their personality. You might be setting yourself up to become someone that you don’t like, and that might not be worth the success.
3. Is The Mentor Happy?
This is a very similar question to the previous question, but it is posed from a different angle. Success is measured in many ways. While your potential mentor may be more successful than you on paper, the responsibilities and stresses of that success may be a greater burden than you knew. Having a mentor isn’t only about learning how to do a job, it’s about learning how to live. And who wants to learn to live from someone who isn’t happy?
4. Is The Mentor Eager To Have A Protégé?
You may be eager to have a mentor, but the mentor may not be eager to have a protégé. Some mentors are thrilled to pass on what they have learned to the person who will very likely take the reins for them. These people offer the most valuable insights and are more likely to be kind and understanding.
Some mentors, however, see protégés not as the person who will be taking the reins from them but as they people who will be taking over the show. A bitter mentor is not necessarily likely to give bad advice, but they are likely to be harder and less pleasant to work with, which may throw off your understanding of the position.
5. Are You In A Position To Be A Protégé?
On a related note, you shouldn’t only be asking about your potential mentor, you should also be asking about yourself. Being a protégé is a little bit like going back to being an intern. You will likely have more stress and responsibilities and a more hectic schedule with fewer additional perks and no additional pay. Depending on your priorities and your stage in life, this may be more than you are willing to take on.
6. Is The Opportunity Likely To Come Up Again?
This is probably the question that your associates may be asking you, or that your significant other is asking you.
Taking a mentor is a big decision and taking a particular mentor is often a once-in-a-lifetime decision. Even if not everything about the situation is ideal, who knows when or if you will be put into this position again?
You don’t want to base your whole decision on this line of thinking, but it’s definitely a line of thinking that you should devote some time to. It also depends on your stage of life. If you are fairly young, the opportunity may be proportionally greater, but it is also more likely to come around again later.
Choosing a mentor can define your career and change your life. Most of the considerations listed above are focused around whether you think that your career requires that situation, and whether that situation would actually improve your life.
These aren’t the only things that you should think about, but hopefully they’ve got you thinking about the other unique aspects of your life that should be shaping your decision.