Start by reassessing your definition of mentor.
“I think I need a mentor.” How many of you have had that thought? It’s certainly a sticky idea that stays glued somewhere in the back of my mind, surfacing every so often in deep contemplation about my life and in conversations with girlfriends about the trajectory of our careers.
I’ve read countless articles about the importance of finding a mentor particularly for young women. We’re told we need this person to serve as a sounding board, a connector, and our guide through difficult life and career choices. As someone who’s recently detonated her own career foundation and begun to rebuild a new, I have without a doubt bought into the popular opinion and resolved that I do in fact need a mentor. It’s a resolution that has found its way onto my 2014 vision board and has been pulling its way to the front of my thoughts more often.
As any uber Type-A personally would, I’ve begun my quest for a mentor by doing my research and outlining a plan. I wanted to know what types of mentors I should seek, what qualities they should embody, and how I should go about asking someone to take on this significant role.
Most of my research lead me to the same place. Look for someone who is several ladder rungs up in your industry that is successful, well-connected, and embodies where you want to be in a few years. Then I came across something different, an approach to mentoring that stood out from the rest and particularly piqued my interest. It is called peer mentoring. (more…)