The Express Blog has launched a new series called The Value of Mentorship for leaders and job seekers. This is part nine of the 12-part series, so check back for new weekly installments!
Mentees aren’t the only ones who benefit from mentoring. Being a mentor has countless advantages and can help you grow personally and professionally. As you look to your career’s future, consider mentoring to influence others and ponder the delight you can experience along the way.
The satisfaction of helping someone else.
Not only will you get to watch your mentee grow and achieve their goals; you’ll also get the satisfaction of selflessly giving your time and attention for the benefit of another. While you celebrate your mentee’s accomplishments, remember that you’ve planted seeds that will only continue to blossom long after the mentorship is complete. The investment you’ve made can last a lifetime.
Use your experience outside of your regular job.
You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, so why not put your hard-earned knowledge, skills, and experience to work outside of your daily job? Mentoring may even allow you to brush up on aspects of your career that you love but aren’t actively using. This is an opportunity to share your expertise, as well as your passion for your field.
Offer the support you wish you had.
Being a mentor is an opportunity to give the support you wish you had earlier in your career to someone else. You’ve been through the wringer, so you know what it takes and what you would have benefited from at the time. Mentorship gives you the chance to be a positive force in another person’s journey, whether or not you had that during your journey.
Succeed by raising others up.
As a mentor, you have a unique position of influence that can impact your career and that of others. A study by Coqual found that sponsors (described as “someone ready to deploy relationship capital on your behalf”) experienced more success in their careers by advocating for rising employees. Sponsors were also more likely than non-sponsors to be satisfied with their ability to deliver on difficult projects.
Have you experienced the joy of mentoring? Share your success story in the comments!
Check out previous posts from the Express Blog’s Value of Mentorship Series:
- Mentorship: Benefits of Company Initiatives in the US and Canada
- Mentorship: Benefits of Workplace Initiatives in the US and Canada
- Mentorship: 6 Tips for New Mentors
- Mentorship: 4 Proactive Ways to Tackle Challenges
- Mentorship: DEI(B) and Mentoring Programs
- 4 Benefits of Having a Mentor During Your Job Search
- Mentorship: 3 Mistakes Mentors Make and How to Avoid Them
- 4 Reasons to Put Reverse Mentorship into Action
