January is National Mentor Month! Below you will find information on how to find and use a mentor. Additionally, you will find tips on how to build a meaningful and productive mentorship relationship that can help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Remember, Villanova alumni are great resources to build mentoring relationships, so utilize the Nova Network to search for working Wildcats whose career paths may align with your interests and goals!
Here you will find a simple approach to finding a mentor, sourced from The Harvard Business Review, published on March 10, 2021.
Ask for that first meeting.
Seventy-six percent of people say that mentors are important, but only 37% have one. Reaching out to someone you admire, but who you may not know so well — especially if that person is more senior than you can be intimidating.
The best way to reach out is usually by sending a short email. Share one or two things you admire about their work, then tell them a little about yourself, why you’re reaching out, and what you would like to learn from them, and wrap it up with your ask.
After setting up the initial meeting, you may be wondering how to build a successful relationship with your mentor. Below you can find several steps on how to foster a positive and effective mentorship experience, sourced from Together, published on November 5, 2021.
Set SMART goals: Mentees should have a clearly defined plan for what they would like to gain from the mentorship. By setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-sensitive you are most likely to be successful both in your career and in your mentorship. It also demonstrates your commitment.
Demonstrate your interest: Your mentor is investing time in you and your career. You can show your appreciation by listening to their advice and asking thoughtful questions. Be an active participant in the mentoring relationship, not a passive partner.
Connect often: Frequent communication is key to cultivating a strong connection with your mentor. Keep in touch with each other and check in regularly. This can be done via emails, apps, messages or phone calls. Keep in mind that most mentorships work best if there is a consistent schedule. Set a regular time to meet, which helps both of you work the meeting to your busy routines.
Be appreciative: Mentorships don’t last forever. Remember to thank your mentor when it is time for your mentoring relationship to end. You can do this by sending thank you cards or emails with a heartfelt message. Whatever way you show your thanks, letting your mentor know how much you value them will leave a lasting impression.
Give back: Find out what you can offer and give back to your mentor by helping them learn something new through the mentoring experience. Doing this demonstrates that you care about them and lays the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship. Likewise, paying it forward by helping someone less experienced than yourself is a great way to give back. Help the next generation find their place and career path by sharing your stories and experiences with them. Mentees usually make great mentors.
Ask for feedback: Mentees grow by listening to the advice and guidance of their mentors. Make sure to ask them for their feedback. You can ask your mentor to listen to a presentation you have upcoming, outline how you’re thinking about a strategy for a project or quarter, or share with them a challenge you’re currently facing and how you think you should solve it.
Come prepared: Come to each meeting prepared with questions, problems, or opportunities you want to discuss with them. Having a structure to the conversation is important. If you have an agenda for the meeting around a specific topic like goal setting or problem-solving the discussion will be much more productive.
Apply what you learn: If you appreciate the advice that your mentor gives you, apply what you’ve learned from them. It can be a great opportunity to follow up with them, letting them know how you applied their advice and what the outcome was. Keeping in mind how you can apply what you learn from your mentor is a great way to show your mentor that you take their advice seriously.
