Perhaps you are a recent college graduate trying to navigate your way through a competitive job market or land your dream job. Maybe you are trying to take your career to the next level and are not sure how to get there. Or maybe you just want to learn from another's experiences so you can do your job better. Whatever your situation, you might benefit from having a mentor.
Mentoring relationships can be formed either through a formal process where a mentor and a mentee are matched based on designated criteria, or through an informal process such as a mentee simply asking someone to share their wisdom and experiences. Either way, the mentoring relationship allows opportunities for learning and personal development that are not readily available.
Many companies offer mentoring opportunities for their employees. My company offers a Leadership Development Program for recent graduates who are interested in entering the Retail Grocery Industry. Each LDP associate is given a mentor with whom they meet with regularly throughout the two year program. This mentoring relationship allows the LDP associate the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the industry and specific roles within the company. At the completion of the program, the LDP associates are better prepared to enter permanent positions within the company and are more likely to remain with the company long-term than those who did not have a mentor.
What about you?
- Have you ever had a mentor? Have you ever been a mentor?
- If so, how was this relationship established? What criteria were considered when selecting a mentor?
- What did you get out of your mentor/mentee relationship?
Barrie Berquist is a Senior Category Development Manager at Acosta Sales and Marketing. She has been a member of the MN AMA since 2007 and is a member of the MarCom Committee where she serves as the Career Insider Blog Project Manager. She can be reached at barrieberquist@yahoo.com. You can follow Barrie on Twitter @BEBERQUIST.
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