Mentoring: Use your network to build a network of mentors
Your network can provide an amazing pool of potential mentors. If you are serious about career development and progression tapping into your network and using your networking skills can be a great way to source mentors.
You do not have to limit yourself to one mentor. You don’t even have to limit yourself to someone within your field/industry.
We actually recommend that you have multiple mentors that fulfil different purposes. Therefore part of your networking efforts might be to source and build relationships with these potential mentors.
Don’t forget, a mentoring relationship does not have to be formal or labelled and if fact you might find that you can go to connections in your network for career advice without labelling the relationship. Mentors can be anyone.
Further Reading:
- Mentoring: An introduction
- How do I find a good mentor?
- Getting to know your mentor
- What questions should I ask my mentor?
- Prepare for your mentoring meeting
- Peer Mentoring
- Spot Mentoring
- Reverse Mentoring
- Buddy up with someone outside your organisation
