5 Major Ways You Didn’t Know A Mentor Can Boost Your Career Potential

5 Major Ways You Didn’t Know A Mentor Can Boost Your Career Potential

By Lilian Wamaitha
When you are just beginning your career, everything can seem overwhelming. Perhaps you have just started a job in an area that is unrelated to your degree or diploma. It is at this time also when you get to experiment with different job as you try and find yourself.
Fast forward a few years later when you are in the middle of your profession. You get into a routine and your job is no longer interesting.
The newness is gone and there is nothing more you are learning. That excitement that was there when you started is gone.
You are in a career rut in short and feel like you are just going with the motions. You have considered quitting but have no idea where to begin. Do you just throw away all that experience just so that you can have some comfort?
Whatever stage you are at, a career mentor can guide you and help you realize your potential.
Whether you are looking to earn a salary that is commensurate with your experience and what you do, want to advance in your career, are looking to change jobs and so forth, here is how a mentor can lessen that load for you;
1. Help you acknowledge your short comings
If for instance you’ve been trying to move up the career ladder for so long, you need to know exactly what is holding you down.
Chances are that you know a lot of your shortcomings and are already working on getting rid of them.
But sometimes what is holding you back are flaws that you cannot see.
Since a mentor has been there and done that, they are at a better position to come in with an outside perspective to point out these issues for you.
The truth is, it’s easier talking to your mentor about what is holding you back from career success than it is talking to your boss or supervisor.
2. They develop your strengths
Just like your short comings, knowing your strengths is key to your career success.
Only you can pinpoint what you are good at or what comes easy to you.
However, strengths are only strengths if you work on growing and developing them but that most of the time is easier said than done.
Developing these strengths on your own is difficult which is where a mentor will come in.
They will walk with you for whatever length of time until you are able to develop those strengths into something you can be proud of.
3. You get to learn so many new things
No matter how many years of experience you have under your belt or how smart you are, the more you know the more you realize just how much you have to learn.
Getting a mentor outside your work place provides you with so much information you may not have realized you needed.
4. You are in a better position to discuss difficult decisions
A mentor as an outside source has a different outlook on life and is able to give you advice without having a stake in the situation.
You are in better positions to discuss issues related to your career that you would otherwise be uncomfortable discussing with your boss or colleagues.
Issues like earning a higher salary and changing jobs are better discussed with an outside party who has all the experience in that.
5. You get to connect with new people
If you have been in the same industry for years, you start to realize that everyone knows the same people and there isn’t much to go with in terms of expanding your circle.
Your mentor on the other hand has a whole new network of professionals you may not know.
It’s a way to expand your network to at least accommodate people outside your industry.
With this in mind
Connecting with a mentor has the potential to change your career in ways that you have never imagined before. If you have reached a point in your career where you believe you need a change, maybe you have realized that you are in the wrong job, are stuck in a career with little or no room for growth or want to earn more; a mentor is what you need.
The will hold your hand and walk with you to ensure you are at a place where you feel fulfilled.
Lilian is a Communication Officer at Corporate Staffing Services, a HR and Recruitment firm offering trainings, coaching and job placements. To reach me today and sign up for the CSS Career Mentorship Program, send me an email through lilian@corporatestaffing.co.ke and I will get back to you.

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