Ever heard “it’s who you know not what you know?” The truth is, as always, more complicated. No doubt, our skills, academic studies, and life experiences matter for our personal and professional success. But the people we know can certainly shape who we are, help us navigate problems we face, and even open doors in high school, college, and beyond.
What is a Mentor?
First of all, let’s define what a mentor is. A mentor is someone with more experience who might offer you guidance in the many life decisions you are making as you transition from high school to college and from college to your professional life after graduation. Older students, alumni, professors, and professionals in your field of interest can all be mentors.
Why Do I Need a Mentor?
One of the best parts of college, many students report, is newfound independence. But with that independence comes responsibility, and the vast choices available to you can feel overwhelming. College can feel like a barrage of choices: what college to go to, what major to choose, what courses to take, what summer opportunities to apply to, where to intern, what professor to conduct research with, what extracurricular activities to partake in, how to make friends… A mentor can help you navigate these choices by sharing their own experiences, which may serve to inspire you, or broaden your horizons.
Once you have more defined decisions and goals, a mentor can help you achieve them. From research opportunities to internships to jobs, having a mentor who can vouch for you and connect you to opportunities that are a strong fit for you can help you get a leg up.
How Do I Find a Mentor?
Students are in a great position to find a mentor:
Get LinkedIn Savvy: students can make great use of LinkedIn to conduct cold outreach to individuals who look like they may be a good fit for mentorship – perhaps due to working in a position and company of interest, or sharing a research passion. Filtering by a shared background (city, college, or even major) can help improve your chances of a reply. Other tips include keeping messages short, expressing your goal, showing appreciation, and making it easy to take action (a booking link for a 15 minute Zoom can be very effective!).
Find the Right Extracurricular Activities: Many extracurricular activities, especially professional associations, lend themselves to finding mentors. Reach out to speakers, join “field trips” or industry talks, and spend time with more experienced peers.
Go to your Professors’ Office Hours: Some students hold the misconception that office hours are only for homework questions. In actuality, office hours with your professors are a great place to talk about your academic and career aspirations. Your professor may be a great mentor, or may be able to help you find the right mentor.
Connect with your Alumni Office: your college may have an alumni office, and that office may have a pre-existing mentorship program, or may have individuals who can connect you to engaged alumni who can support you in your field of interest.
What Can I Talk About With a Mentor?
The biggest mistake when it comes to mentorship is thinking that a LinkedIn connection or short “hello” at a conference is enough. For relationships and connections to be mutually beneficial, it’s important to invest more deeply. Reach out with a message, ask for a coffee chat, or meet over Zoom. You might share career updates or ask for input on a big professional decision. These small steps to develop a relationship can make it more comfortable to reach out when you need help.
Having warm mentor relationships is always beneficial, but there are a few points in your college experience at which you might find it especially helpful:
Choosing a major: A mentor can help you dig deeper into your goals, skillsets, and aspirations, and provide their own experiences, so that you can choose a major that is a strong fit for you.
Applying to Internship and Job Opportunities: A mentor can help you get a referral to a position you’re excited about, get introduced to others in your position with more experience, prep for application processes especially in technical fields like finance, and refine your applications especially for roles that may require writings.
Exploring Academic Interests: A mentor can help you learn more about topics that you find interesting in college, perhaps through engaging in long discussions, sharing interesting readings and materials, or advising next steps, such as courses you might be interested in.
Mentorship Matters
Students should remember that mentorship is a valuable way to identify and reach their goals, and many individuals who have more academic or professional experience are eager to share their expertise. Mentorship is a two way road, after all – students help their mentors stay in touch with their university or college, learn about new innovations students may be studying in college, or even serve as a valuable recruiting pool for the organizations mentors work for. Always look for ways in which you may be able to be helpful to a mentor in return for their advice, time, and guidance.
With the right approach, mentorship can contribute to your academic, professional, and personal success.
Why not have a chat with one of our mentors at Hermiona? Make an appointment today!
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