You may have heard the term “life coach” recently. And while this sometimes sounds like a fictitious profession, believe it or not, many people find coaching to be quite valuable in today’s society.
However, life coaching is much different than professional mentorship. In fact, many surveys have shown that around 9 out of 10 employees who have mentors claim to be happier and more fulfilled with their professional lives.
But why should you or anyone become a mentor? What are the benefits? And how are you sure you’ll be taken seriously just by claiming to be a mentor?
These are just a few questions you should ask yourself before attempting to become a mentor in today’s professional landscape. But the truth is, there are a number of benefits to becoming a mentor. And you might even find yourself better established after doing so.
If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, the following will illustrate a few of the benefits.
You Might Become a Better Leader
The first thing that you’ll have to understand is, in order to be a mentor, you have to have some highly-polished leadership skills. And this is because the very nature of mentorship includes the act of guiding the mentee toward a specific goal.
In order to become a better leader, you’ll also need to have advanced knowledge of technology and communication in the workplace. Basically, you’ll need to know your way around your industry, even when blindfolded. And this might just be looked upon as proof of your leadership.
At the end of the day, coaching a pupil not only allows you to build teaching skills, it moves you into a new realm of professionalism. And if you’re passionate about helping others achieve what you struggled to achieve on your own, this passion will show through, and you’ll be looked upon as a true leader over time.
You’ll Be Shaping the Leaders of Tomorrow
You might ask yourself, “how am I supposed to find a mentee?” Well, you might not need to look further than your own organization for this. And chances are, you might find the leaders of tomorrow in the form of junior associates with great potential.
Further, you could also outsource by using mentoring software which is usually provided by a mentorship matching service if you’re looking to create a “classroom” of sorts when you begin your mentorship journey.
Matching services help you to find the perfect mentees operating in your industry. And if you’re looking to shape the future of your industry, the more mentees you’re able to take under your wing the easier it will be for you to help revolutionize your industry and make tomorrow much better than today.
Enhancing Your CV
Anyone who has ever set out to look for a job has attempted to “pad” their resumes accordingly. And even if this sometimes includes slight embellishments, a resume or CV is designed to reflect the best of your skills and expertise. As such, adding the title of “Mentor” to your resume is a great way for you to stand out from the crowd.
If you place yourself in a hiring manager’s shoes, he or she has to sift through potentially hundreds of resumes and cover letters before being able to narrow down a few prospects to interview. And if your resume is the only one that lists “Mentor” as a heading, you’re probably a shoo-in for an interview at the very least.
The bottom line is, becoming a mentor helps to establish you as an authority in your industry. And employers look for those with advanced expertise during the hiring process.
Becoming a mentor has many more benefits than those listed above. But perhaps the most beneficial is the fulfillment you’ll gain from coaching another professional toward achieving success. And when you’re able to finally watch your mentee achieve his or her goals, it will surely be worth all the time and effort.
