By now you’ve probably had many mentors or people who have served as advisors, counselors or guides with you during your life. Whether they were given to you or you picked them out yourself, mentors have helped you get to where you are today even if you didn’t realize it. There is no Luke Skywalker without Jedi Master Yoda. It’s just a fact, young padawan.
So how in the world do you put yourself in a position to be mentored anyway? How do you communicate and maintain that relationship? What do you get out of this? How do you find your Yoda?
Step #1: Be open to any and all possibilities.
Don’t get caught up in the fact that someone has a different career path than you. If they share your interests, you’ll always have something to chat about. And even if they don’t match your exact interests, there’s always something you can learn from another person. Trying to match your personality and likes and dislikes exactly to another person is impossible. Embrace what you’ve got and get learning.
Step #2: Once you open yourself up, be eager to learn.
Never ever go into any relationship thinking you know it all - especially one with someone who can guide you in the direction you’re looking to go with your schoolwork, job or future self. You can’t close yourself off to new ideas or experiences. Get out of your comfort zone with a conversation or with an activity with your mentor. You’ll be glad you learned something new. It may even lead to a new passion.
Step #3: Reach out, reach out, reach out.
Reach out to your mentor! They may be busy, just like you, but in order to maintain the relationship, you have to talk to each other. Get coffee. Send them news articles that you know they would like to start a conversation. Grab lunch. Work at the relationship. Expecting to just hit it off with someone is never a good assumption. Send them emails, gifs and funny memes if that’s what it takes to schedule out time or to chat with them. Don’t just wait for them to communicate with you.
Step #4: They’re an asset - use them.
Don’t hesitate to ask them to look over resumes or cover letters or to ask them for suggestions about where to find the best ice cream in Columbia.
*Cough* I love Sparky’s *Cough*
Asking for help is not a weakness in any aspect. They’ll most likely be eager to help anyway. They may ask you for help at some point too.
Step #5: Enjoy your relationship.
The benefits of having a solid mentor and a solid relationship with your mentor are infinite. Knowing someone has your back and having someone to turn to is always a positive. You’ll have a new friend, a new confidant and a maybe even a new ping pong partner. Throughout the mentorship, you should be having fun anyway. One day down the road you never know when you’ll need to turn to them for help, and they may do the same for you. View this relationship as a friendship rooted in guidance and you’ll reap rewards.
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