Tag Archive for: guidance

My experience having a mentor was one that I will absolutely never forget and cherish so much! For that reason, I hope that you continue reading today to find out exactly how YOU should go about finding informal mentors in your network, within your workplace, or even in an academic environment.

Finding Informal Mentors…

  • Use Your Network: The easiest way to meet new people and make those connections is through those that you already know! Whether this be a past professor, manager, coworker, family member, or friend, using your mutual connections creates a direct pathway towards your new “mentor.” Something as simple as a quick email may lead to a long-lasting relationship. So, do your homework and search through the connections you’ve already built to begin identifying new companies, roles, and titles that interest you and that you’d like to learn more about!
  • Reach out for Coffee: The first and most important step in cultivating a mentorship is reaching out! Always remember that people love talking about themselves, their past, and their successes and would be more than happy to share those parts of their career with you. No matter who you are reaching out to, it is crucial to send an introductory email, text, or call explaining who you are and how your interests compliment there own. Especially if you are connecting with a professor or student, stop by their office hours or meet up for a few minutes after class!
  • Come Prepared: Just as you are benefiting from their information and guidance, make sure that they are benefiting from you as well. While this does not mean to bring gifts or other presents, we highly encourage you to do your homework before chatting. You should know about their background, interests (as simple as a LinkedIn search!), and current role before sitting down. That way, you can breeze over the general questions and get to the good stuff. By showing that you’ve done your homework, you are indirectly confirming your interest in their profession and appreciation of their time.
  • Stay Connected: Mentorships don’t just happen overnight. In fact, the most valuable relationships take some time to cultivate until you can truly feel comfortable and confident in seeking complete, honest guidance. Keep this person up to date with your accomplishments, new roles, successes, and even challenges! You’d be surprised how much a quick phone call allows people to stay in touch through time.

Informal mentors come in all shapes and sizes. So, what are you waiting for? Go out and find one today!

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list!

Be sure to avoid these easy-to-make mistakes while networking!

This summer, I was granted the fantastic opportunity to be paired with a formal mentor for the duration of my 10-week internship. To my surprise, my mentor was a UW-Madison alum (the college I currently attend) and had a bunch of things in common with me right off the bat. I was so excited to dive into our mentorship experience together and felt even more prepared as a result of prior research I had conducted on the meaning of a “mentor” and how to extract the most out of our time together. So, how did it turn out? Keep reading to find out…

Having a Formal Mentor…

  • Honest Communication: My favorite part about having a mentor was that it gave me a weekly opportunity to be completely open and honest about my experience, questions I had, or regarding projects or responsibilities that I did not feel were “important” enough to take to higher leadership. My mentor was a constant source of guidance, free from judgment, and a fantastic voice of wisdom for any and all inquiries. While I had a phenomenal overall experience, she absolutely provided me with meaningful advice regarding my future, my hesitations, and how to navigate my “likes and dislikes” about the role I was placed in.
  • Lessons of Other Internal Roles and Opportunities: While I was situated in the business risk office, my mentor was a member of the consumer insights team. Coincidentally, she had the role that I had always hoped to explore and was highly interested in! Through her, I was able to gauge what it would actually be like to possess consumer insights-related responsibilities on a daily basis, what career acceleration could look like from that standpoint, and how each of the 5 consumer insights roles complements and differs from one another. It was absolutely fantastic and all the more valuable to hear candidly from someone not so far from my age and career standpoint about her own experience. As an employee, she also had fantastic insight (no pun intended) into a plethora of different roles possessed by colleagues, past mentors, managers, or other alum.
  • Connections! Another awesome component of having a mentorship program is in its ability to set you up with a list of connections stemming from colleagues, other alum, friends, or even past mentors in different roles across the entire company. Having my mentor point out roles she thought I may be interested in ended up allowing me to explore entirely different responsibilities and positions that I had not previously been aware of!

Mentorship is an essential part of business and its evolution. So, having mentors in various roles, of all ages, and all backgrounds will allow you to learn from a variety of perspectives about your self, your interests, and future opportunities. However, not all companies provide interns with direct, formal mentors. So, how do you go about finding an informal role model? Check back in Thursday to find out!

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list!

Interested in my experience? Keep reading to find out about my role as an intern here!