Benefits of Having a Mentor – Why You Should Have One

Have you ever thought about some of the benefits of having a mentor?

You might be having trouble with your job and want to move on.

You should learn how to lead a team, become a leader, and help others learn, grow, and get better at what they do.

Having a mentor shows you that it is possible.

Mentors have the power to take you by the hand and help you through the hardest things in life.

They use the knowledge and experience they’ve gained over the years in their coaching.

Everyone who is successful in the world has one or even multiple mentors.

Bill Gates has Warren Buffet, and Warren Buffet has Benjamin Graham.

Mark Zuckerberg had Steve Jobs. Aristotle was there for Alexander the Great.

Mentors can help you get where you want to go faster by showing you the way.

People are starting to understand the importance of having a mentor and are actively looking for one.

This relationship between a mentor and a mentee is good both personally and professionally.

Having a mentor is a chance to improve your communication skills, broaden your way of thinking, and think about new ways to handle situations.

Both the mentor and the mentee can potentially move up in their respective careers through this process.

This article will discuss mentoring, why it’s important to look for one, and how this relationship can help both people.

Mentor and mentee sitting together - Benefits of Having a Mentor

What Is Mentoring?

Mentoring is when two people work together to help each other grow both professionally and personally.

A person with a lot of experience is called a “mentor.”

They give the student, also called a “mentee,” their knowledge, experience, and advice.

Mentors have trusted advisors and role models.

They are the ones who have “been there” and “done that.”

Also, they have the same morals.

They help and encourage their mentees by giving them general and specific advice and knowledge.

A mentoring relationship can be between two people who work for the same company, in the same field or belong to the same networking group.

The goal of a mentoring relationship is to help both people in their personal and professional lives.

Related Reading: How To Start Something New – Learn More Here.

Mentoring and Other Professional Relationships

You might be thinking of other words, like coaches, trainers, and consultants.

What do these things do?

How do they work?

Let’s talk a bit more about how mentoring is similar to and different from the jobs listed above.

There are a few ways that coaches and mentors are different.

First of all, a coach usually gets paid, while a mentor usually helps you out for free.

Mentors are hard to find, and you may have trouble keeping up with your mentoring sessions. 

Coaches, on the other hand, will be there for you during your coaching sessions.

Coaches are invaluable for assessing your current position in your career and charting your future course. 

They also make a plan for you to get there.

They will help you take action as well.

Coaches tend to help you sketch out your plan, while mentors use their knowledge and experience to suggest different paths you could take.

Now you may have also heard the word “trainer.”

Trainers help people learn and improve specific skills. 

You can choose a training course that fits your needs as much as possible, but each type of training course has its own schedule and goals.

But mentoring is made to fit your needs.

Mentoring can help you improve your skills and qualities.

The next step is to talk to career consultants or counselors.

They help you move between jobs or roles, and you pay them for this service.

Mentor’s Benefits

First, discuss how mentoring helps the mentor and improves his personal and professional life.

Leadership Skills Development

When you mentor someone, you learn how to inspire and motivate them.

This is helpful because it makes the mentor a better boss, worker, and team member.

You don’t have to learn these skills if you decide to go to college.

Communication Skills Improvement

The more you talk to other people about a particular subject, the better you get at explaining it.

So, becoming a mentor is an excellent way to improve your communication skills in your field.

The more you use these skills with your mentees, the better you will get at mentoring, and the more you will be able to help your mentee.

New Perspectives

Everyone has a different story to tell, a different way of thinking, and a different background.

When you work with someone less experienced than you and with a different background, you will get a new look at things and learn a new way of thinking.

Potential Career Advancement

Your job or business performance automatically improves when you get better at being a leader and talking to people.

This could help you get a promotion.

In today’s business world, showing that you have helped others learn and grow is becoming more important.

Personal Satisfaction

It makes you feel good to know that your knowledge and skills helped someone improve and grow in an area where they asked for help.

Related Reading: The Mind of an Entrepreneur – Get The Insights Here.

Mentee’s Benefits

Mentee's Benefits

Let’s look at what you, as a mentee, will get from having a mentor.

Help Gain Valuable Advice

Mentors have done what you want to do for many years.

They have seen and done it all. They also have the same ideas about how to live.

They have LOTS to talk about.

You can listen to them and brainstorm new ideas for your life or business together.

They will tell you how to reach your goals more quickly and easily.

They will also tell you how to not start from scratch.

Developing Knowledge And Skills

Each session with a mentor will help you learn new things and get wiser.

Mentors can also point you in the direction of the resources you need.

Improving Communication Skills

As we’ve discussed, mentoring is always a win-win situation for both parties involved.

So, just like your mentor, you will improve your ability to talk to people.

Fresh Perspective

Your mentor can learn new ways to think from how you think, but you can also learn from them.

Building Connections

Mentors have lived a long time and have seen a lot.

Since they work in the same field as you, they have a bigger network and can help you expand yours by connecting you with the right people.

So, having a mentor is a great way to meet influential people and build relationships with them.

Career Advancement

When someone who knows more than you does your mentoring, you can get a better job, a promotion, or reach your business goals quickly.

Mutual Mentoring

What does “mutual mentoring” mean?

People work together with someone who has less experience or the same amount of experience but is willing. 

This person can help you think about what you want to do in your career, push you to commit to your goals, and may even help you keep track of your progress toward them.

Someone like this might be in your group or network.

If you do the same for them, you’ll have a healthy relationship that’s good for both of you.

Related Reading: How to Stay Humble – Learn That Here.

Conclusion

Hopefully, now you know why it’s good to have a mentor and how you and your mentor can help each other.

Look for a mentor who has already done what you want to do in your life.

You must both believe in the same things.

You will find that this person might be 10 to 20 years older and has more life experience than you do.

Since mentoring is usually done on a volunteer basis, it can be hard to find these people, and they can be rough around the edges.

But if you keep looking, you’ll find someone who can show you how to live well and get what you want.

Disclosure:  this article might contain links to the resources discussed.
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Brooks Conkle

Brooks is an Entrepreneur, Sponge, Father, Husband, & Follower of the Golden Rule. He has over 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur after graduating with a BSBA in Finance from Auburn University. He’s addicted to growing new business ideas and any food that includes chocolate and peanut butter. Brooks is a firm believer in creating multiple streams of income and creates content here on BrooksConkle.com to help other hustlers in the areas of marketing, online business, personal finance, and real estate.