In the mind of...nicky
/Mentors. Here is one interesting way to view your parents: Life Mentors. I never really thought about this until I started to think about the importance of having mentors in your life. Your parents are the first to teach you how to walk, how to behave, and the first teach you countless other “how-to’s” for you to successfully survive in this world. And for me the most valuable aspect of having these life mentors guiding me is the comfort of knowing that they are rooting for me when I dealing with a difficult situation. Not only that but they also act as a sounding board for important decisions or act as someone to put me in my place when I am acting like a total idiot.
Now relate this to your professional life. Do you have someone as a professional mentor?
I was lucky enough to gain a professional mentor while I was fairly young. At the beginning I did not even realize that he was acting as a mentor figure and it was not until a few years later that I realized what an impact he had on my life. There was definitely a “mentor relationship learning curve”. And as you grow, you may find what you want to learn will change and therefore may seek out other mentors that can teach you. Out of my experiences, I can share that the most challenging part is finding the right person to fulfill that mentor role. But once you do, the value you gain from that relationship is very much worth it.
One way YWiB's university chapters are supporting young women in gaining a successful mentor relationship is helping them define elements that constitute as a successful relationship to them. By knowing what they are looking for it can make their search for a mentor a lot easier.
Nicky