Find a Great Career Mentor in Your Own Office with These 3 Tips!

Providing mentors for employees is a key part of helping them move forward in their careers. Mentors provide insight into getting promotions, solving problems, learning from mistakes and more. Because finding the right mentor and knowing how to ask for guidance can be challenging, it is in your best interest to determine which seasoned employees are up for the task and let employees know whom they may ask for help. Here are three tips for finding great career mentors in your office.  

Determine the Qualities of a Great Mentor 

The best mentors make a significant difference in mentees’ careers. They offer support and motivation for all types of circumstances and answer questions about career transitions and challenging situations. Top mentors listen more than they talk and help mentees navigate toward solutions and next steps. They help mentees learn from their own mistakes and hardships as well as successes. True mentors provide honest feedback and constructive criticism to help mentees improve performance and reach high expectations. They influence mentees to become strong, confident, thoughtful leaders by leaving their comfort zone and reaching their full potential. The best mentors establish relationships based on mutual respect, trust and support, cultivate acceptance and open communication. Top mentors enjoy learning from mentees with different backgrounds and watching them grow in their careers.     

Remember That a Mentor May Work in a Different Department 

As long as the mentor takes an interest in a mentee’s career goals, their activities outside the office, and how the mentor can assist with career development, they should be a good fit. The mentor’s main focus should be the mentee’s long-term success and development, not just their job responsibilities. Relationships need to develop organically for the best odds of being successful.  

Ask Seasoned Employees to Become Mentors 

Find out which seasoned employees want to mentor less experienced co–workers. Be sure that employees seeking a mentor can demonstrate why mentorship will benefit their career development and what they want to gain from mentoring. Examples may include supporting career goals and offering sound career path advice, or taking with someone who has subject matter expertise to help navigate a specific problem. Also, teach employees to properly reach out to potential mentors. They may start by mentioning they admire the coworker’s work or career trajectory and ask whether they can request advice on their own career. If the potential mentor agrees, they can sit down for a discussion. If things go well, they may set up a recurring meeting for a set amount of time every few months or so.   

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Staying Curious Could Lead You to the Finance Career of Your Dreams

One soft skill that is beneficial to your finance career is curiosity. Continually asking questions to gain information opens you up to new opportunities. You may discover skills and interests you did not know you had, find an especially intriguing line of work or move to a position you did not see yourself having. Find out how staying curious can lead you to the finance career of your dreams. 

Networking 

Being curious about what finance professionals do encourages you to network. Asking questions about finance workers’ responsibilities, what they like best about their jobs, and how they became interested in their line of work may lead to your own career advancement or change. If the projects that finance professionals handle each day sound interesting to you, dig deeper for additional information to determine whether you may want to pursue that line of work. If so, build a relationship with your connection before asking about job openings or an introduction to the hiring manager. Even if no positions are available, you can get to know the manager and express interest if anything opens up.  

Job Change Anxiety 

Curiosity can help you with anxiety about starting a new finance job. For instance, you can use the company website and social media to research the organization, view pictures and posts about the office and culture, and see what it is like working there. You can get to know a little about potential colleagues and gain insight into job responsibilities, requirements and expectations. During the interview, you can ask questions about the company’s goals, finance department’s projects and team–building activities.    

Professional Development 

Being open to increasing your financial skills, knowledge and experience means you continually learn new things in your field. Staying current on industry news, trends and best practices keeps you on top in your field. Connecting something you are learning about with something you already know increases your understanding and retention of the information. Ongoing professional development shows you are willing to adapt to new circumstances and helps position you as an expert in your field. 

Career Fulfillment 

Continuing to satisfy your curiosity about different finance functions means you are taking risks and learning new things on an ongoing basis. The more you gain new experiences, skills and information, the faster you advance professionally. Receiving bonuses, raises and awards also increases your personal fulfillment, leading to additional career growth. Embracing the unknown and being OK with feeling uncomfortable helps you take on new challenges in your career.  

Find the Finance Career of Your Dreams 

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