A mentor is someone who is successful at what they do and uses their strength to their advantage. So obviously, having the right mentor can elevate your career. However, do you really know who is the right mentor for you? If the answer is no, then read on, we have ways to help you choose the right mentor to help you grow your career.

Analyse what you need from your mentor

Ask yourself a few important questions to figure out what exactly you need help with, such as:

• Do I need help with my current role or with how to move ahead to another role?
• Do I need support from my mentor for a particular challenge or for my entire career?
• Do I need to develop better skills from my mentor or should my mentor tell me what skills I need to develop?
• Can your mentor help you with your BBA, MCA or MBA curriculum?

Once you have an answer to these questions, you’ll be able to move on to the next question.

Define the nature of your relationship with your mentor

• What is your mentor’s approach to helping you?
• What is the nature of your relationship with your mentor, is it formal or informal?
• Is your mentor helping you for free or are you willing to pay him/her?
• How often would you like to interact with your mentor?

Now, it’s time to seek out your mentor

Is there someone you have in mind that fits the above requirements? If yes, then your search is over, if not, then this might help you find someone –

• Contact senior executives who have excelled at their jobs
• Are there famous industry leaders who inspire you?
• Join professional associations, you’ll immediately be introduced to more people with varied experiences.
• Is there someone from your MBA or BBA course that you wish to work with?
• A teacher who taught you during your MSC or BCA course

Once you’ve found someone you want to work under, don’t be afraid to ask them for the help you need. To foster a strong relationship, it’s also better if you and your mentor share the same values and leadership style. If your values and ideals don’t match you’re likely to experience a lot of friction. No matter who you choose, remember that it could take time to build a relationship with them so don’t give up too early.

Now that you have a mentor, be clear about your expectations from the relationship that you have with them. Deal with your first few interactions the same way you would deal with an interview. Find out all that they can contribute and how much time they are willing to put aside to do the same. You also need to tell them about your strengths and weaknesses. Remember, this is a relationship that can make your career, there is nothing that you should hold back.

Even though your mentor might have guided you well, there is a chance that you could need more than one mentor. If this is the case, don’t worry, you can have different mentors for different needs in your career. All you have to do is try!