The benefits of mentorship for career mobility: How working with a mentor can fast-track your career growth
Mentors offer guidance and support as you take steps toward your goals.
Learn how working with a mentor can impact your career growth and help you unlock new opportunities.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
→ The benefits of mentorship
→ How to find a mentor
→ How to build a successful mentorship relationship
→ Key takeaways and next steps
Table of contents
- Chapter 1: The key benefits of mentorship for career growth
- Chapter 2: How to find the right mentor
- Chapter 3: Building a productive mentorship relationship for career growth
- Chapter 4: Key takeaways: Pursuing mentorship opportunities for career mobility
Chapter 1
The key benefits of mentorship for career growth
Working with a mentor can also improve your self-confidence and decision-making.
In this chapter, we’ll cover:
→ How a mentor can provide guidance and support for your career
→ How mentors can help you develop new skills, expand your network, and set goals
→ How working with a mentor can increase your confidence
5 key benefits of mentorship for career mobility
Whether you want to:
- Get a promotion
- Make a vertical or lateral career move
- Switch industries
- Or grow within your current role
…working with a mentor can help you achieve your goals faster and more confidently.
A survey on workplace happiness found that employees who have a career mentor are more likely to say they’re well-paid and believe that their colleagues value their contributions.1
Similarly, around 91% of employees who have a mentor say they’re satisfied with their jobs, and 57% say they’re “very satisfied.”2
Employees who have a career mentor are more likely to say they’re well-paid and believe that their colleagues value their contributions.
Workplace Happiness Survey, CNBC and SurveyMonkey, July 2019
Why does mentorship often lead to greater job satisfaction? Let’s explore some of the main benefits of working with a mentor.
1. Mentors offer crucial guidance and support to take you to the next level
The path to career growth can be challenging and confusing. An experienced and knowledgeable mentor can help you make informed career decisions and overcome challenges as you grow professionally.
Here are some examples of situations mentors can help you through:
- Role/industry switch: If you’d like to find a new role or switch industries but are unsure which would best fit your interests and strengths, you can evaluate your options with a mentor who understands those fields.
- Time management: Perhaps you struggle to juggle your work, home, and school responsibilities. An empathetic mentor can listen, validate your feelings, and help you brainstorm solutions.
- Soft skills for job search: During a job search, your mentor can guide you through networking opportunities and etiquette, resume optimization, job searches, interview preparation, salary negotiation, and more.
Education advice and motivation: If you decide to continue your education to learn in-demand skills for your career, a mentor can help you stay motivated and offer time-management advice.
2. Mentors can help you prioritize which skills to learn – and even teach you them live
Mentors can help you learn new skills and identify educational opportunities to unlock your career mobility.
For example, they may teach you how to use a new software program, let you observe how they create and launch a new marketing campaign, or give you feedback on improving your presentation or interviewing skills.
They can also direct you to valuable resources, such as a university program, industry certification, bootcamp, online course, book, or even a YouTube video.
3. Mentors can expand your professional network
Growing your network is an important part of career growth. The right connections can open opportunities for professional development or even a new job.
Many mentors have spent years building their connections. As a result, they can introduce you to key people in your industry — whether at their company, other companies in your field, or professional organizations.
You can also ask your mentor if they know of any networking opportunities, such as local job fairs, trade shows, industry conferences, virtual seminars, and alumni events.
Many mentors have spent years building their connections. As a result, they can introduce you to key people in your industry — whether at their company, other companies in your field, or professional organizations.
4. Mentors can help in making a career plan and setting goals
Working with a mentor one-on-one can help you clarify your long-term and short-term goals.
If your goals are too vague, they may encourage you to make them S.M.A.R.T. — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
From there, they can help you create a career plan using a career map and identify career mobility strategies to reach your goals.
Your career plan may include steps like:
- Earning a certificate or degree
- Updating your resume and LinkedIn profile
- Attending networking events
- Submitting job applications
- Preparing for interviews
5. Mentors have proven to empower their mentees
Have you ever lacked confidence in your ability to get a new job or your performance in your current role? If so, you’re not alone.
Research on employee job confidence shows nearly 1 in 3 workers feel insecure about their ability to perform their job well.3
Another study on the confidence of job seekers found that after five rejection letters, the average job-seeker begins to lose confidence.4
You can increase your self-confidence by working with a mentor who helps you build new skills and recognize the value of your achievements.
Research shows that 87% of mentors and mentees feel empowered by their mentorship relationship and have increased their confidence.5
When you encounter challenges or experience imposter syndrome, a mentor will keep you:
- Stay accountable
- Remind you of your motivation
- Help you find solutions to continue working toward your goals
Chapter 2
How to find the right mentor to help you grow in your career
Use these tips to lay the foundation for a successful mentorship relationship.
In this chapter, we’ll cover:
→ How to identify potential mentors
→ How to reach out to a mentor
→ How to use online mentorship platforms
Tips for identifying potential mentors
How should you approach finding a mentor — and how do you know if someone is a good match for you?
Ask your HR team if they have a mentorship program.
First, ask your employer what mentorship opportunities they provide.
Your employer may have a formal mentorship program as part of their career growth strategy for employees.
In that case, they may match you with a mentor — likely a more experienced employee.
If they do not, look to your network instead.
However, if your organization doesn’t have such a program, you can identify a potential mentor by looking at your professional network.
Consider prior or current managers or people you’ve met at networking events.
If no one in your network seems like a good fit, think about people you respect who are further along than you in your field, whether at your company or a different one.
You can find people in your industry by:
- Browsing LinkedIn and other networking platforms
- Looking up speakers at industry conferences
- Joining professional organizations
What qualities should a professional mentor have?
When looking for a mentor, make sure the person has the right experience and expertise and that they’re willing to mentor you. Let’s explore these three qualities further.
1. Mentors should have relevant experience.
Before asking someone to mentor you, see if their career experience is relevant to your goals.
For example, suppose you’re a junior recruiter and your goal is to eventually become an HR executive.
In that case, you might look for a mentor with experience managing recruiters and trainers, administering companywide benefit programs, and maintaining a positive workplace culture.
2. Mentors should have applicable expertise.
Experience can lead to expertise — but not always.
Avoid choosing a mentor simply because they’ve worked in your industry for years.
Your mentor should have the skills you’d like to grow in or the knowledge to help you advance in your career. This means they understand your industry and know the best practices for career growth in your field.
To find someone with the right expertise, look for people who are successful in your field or have successfully mentored others in your industry.
Your mentor should have the skills you’d like to grow in or the knowledge to help you advance in your career.
3. Mentors should have availability and willingness.
Once you find someone with the right experience and expertise, you’ll need to ask if they’re willing and available to mentor you.
After all, mentorship is an investment of time and energy, so it’s important to find someone who’s committed to helping you succeed and has room in their schedule to mentor you.
How to use online mentorship platforms
Your employer might use a platform to pair mentors and mentees within the company. Some examples of these platforms are:
If not, you can use individual mentorship platforms, such as:
You can also research mentorship platforms that serve your specific industry.
Many online platforms allow you to search for potential mentors based on your:
- Industry
- Goals
- Skills
- Price
Once you find a potential mentor, you can set up an introductory call to make sure you’re a good match.
From there, you can typically schedule meetings within the platform and keep track of your progress.
Remember: Most mentorship platforms charge for their services. Make sure to research pricing before signing up with any platform.
How to reach out and begin a mentorship step-by-step
How you reach out to a potential mentor can set the tone for the rest of the relationship. Keep the following tips in mind when asking someone to mentor you.
Step #1: Reach out respectfully
When approaching a potential mentor, remember that you’re asking them to invest a significant amount of time and attention. Acknowledging this and showing gratitude can help pave the way for a successful relationship.
Whether you’re asking them over the phone, via email, or in person, explain why you’re interested in a mentorship relationship with them. Share what you admire about their experience and accomplishments in your field.
Be clear yet flexible about what you hope the mentorship will look like.
How much time will they need to commit, and how long would you like the mentorship to last?
Finally, close by thanking them for their time and consideration.
If the person agrees to mentor you, thank them again and express your excitement for learning from them.
Step #2: Establish rapport by expressing interest (and actively listening)
A productive mentorship begins with establishing rapport and building trust.
This includes expressing interest in their career and insights and truly listening when they share their perspective and personal experiences. You can demonstrate active listening by nodding while they’re speaking and asking thoughtful follow-up questions.
If they ask how you’d like to grow, be honest about:
- Your strengths
- Your weaknesses
- Your career aspirations.
Share your specific goals and what you hope to learn from them — and express your deep-felt gratitude that they’re willing to take the time to help you get there.
Step #3: Nurture the relationship by bringing your A-game to every meeting
As the relationship progresses, continue demonstrating that you appreciate your mentor’s support and value their time. Here are three ways to do this:
1. Come to your meetings prepared. Before a meeting, reflect on questions you have, how you’d like to grow, and places where you feel stuck.
2. Actively participate in the meetings. Instead of listening passively, engage in the conversation with follow-up questions and ask for clarification when you need it.
3. Be willing to take action. Be proactive when your mentor offers advice. If they recommend something — such as signing up for a program, reading an article, or reaching out to someone — try to follow through before your next meeting. This demonstrates that you value their input and are eager to grow.
Chapter 3
Building a productive mentorship relationship for career growth
Learn how to build these three qualities and get the most value from a mentorship.
In this chapter, we’ll cover:
→ How to establish expectations with your mentor
→ How to maintain clear communication
→ How to build trust and rapport
How to build a successful mentor-mentee relationship
A mentorship can fizzle out or become unproductive if you don’t put effort into the relationship. Use the strategies below to build a successful relationship with a mentor.
Tip #1: Establish expectations
Setting clear expectations at the beginning of mentorship can help you avoid frustration and miscommunication down the road.
Start by sharing your specific goals. What do you want to accomplish, and how can your mentor help you achieve it? What do you think a successful mentorship would look like?
Next, discuss what your meetings and communication will look like. Will you have scheduled in-person or virtual meetings? Or will you communicate via email as needed? How long will the mentorship last — perhaps three months, a year, or indefinitely?
Lastly, you and your mentor should define your respective roles.
Find the answers to questions like:
- Does your mentor expect to take on a coaching role, providing homework and feedback?
- Would they prefer a more informal approach?
- Do you expect them to introduce you to key people in their network or advocate for you to superiors in the company?
Tip #2: Keep communication clear
Always communicate with your mentor clearly and honestly.
If you’d like their advice or want them to do something for you, ask them instead of hoping they’ll offer on their own.
Honest feedback is an important part of clear communication.
Be willing to share with your mentor how the relationship is helping you and where it could be improved.
Remember: Communication is a two-way street. Be open to listening to your mentor’s perspective and advice, even if you don’t agree with everything. You can respectfully disagree and still have a healthy, productive relationship.
Tip #3: Build trust
As your mentorship progresses, your trust and rapport should grow.
You can strengthen the relationship by checking in with your mentor every so often to let them know how you’ve been implementing their advice and feedback.
Additionally, you should also ask them how they’re doing and where they are regarding their goals.
The most impactful mentorships go beyond the superficial. When appropriate, share relevant personal experiences with your mentor and help them feel safe to do the same with you.
Remember: Keep what your mentor shares with you private unless they give you permission to share it.
Tip #4: Act on their advice — and bring them the results
When your mentor helps you identify valuable opportunities for learning, skill development, or networking, be proactive about taking their advice.
After you’ve taken action, let your mentor know how their recommendations are helping you and how you’re progressing.
If you can, bring case studies or actionable results in your role — maybe in the form of feedback from leadership or a process that you improve at work.
Sharing your results shows your mentor that you’re actually applying their feedback and reaping the benefits of it.
This will motivate them and give them a sense of fulfillment.
Chapter 4
Key takeaways: Pursuing mentorship opportunities for career mobility
But to experience those benefits, you need to be willing to move forward and overcome challenges.
In this chapter, we’ll cover:
→ Key takeaways
→ Mapping out your next steps
→ Overcoming obstacles when pursuing mentorship
Mentorship can help you reach your goals faster — but only if you’re willing to take action.
In this guide, we’ve discussed how mentorship plays a vital role in career mobility and can help you unlock new opportunities. You’ve learned:
- The benefits of mentorship
- How to find and reach out to a mentor
- How to cultivate a successful mentorship relationship
Take time to consider how you can use the strategies in this guide to pursue mentorship opportunities.
Then, write down what you hope to get out of a mentorship and what specific steps you’ll take over the next few weeks to find a mentor.
Also, think about obstacles you may encounter when searching for a mentor and how you could overcome them.
For example, suppose your organization doesn’t offer a mentorship program.
You could find a mentor by reaching out to people in your network, joining an online mentorship platform, or hiring a career coach instead.
You could even go a step further by reaching out to your employer’s HR team and asking how you can help foster a culture of mentorship there.
A productive mentorship takes work — but it’s certainly worthwhile. Are you ready to find a mentor and fast-track your career growth?