I’ve been lucky to have some awesome mentors in my life. I wouldn’t be who I am right now without the guidance of my mentors.
Who is a mentor?
mentor: an experienced person in a company or educational institution who trains and counsels new employees or students
A mentor trains people. Your best friend could be your mentor and this “training” could be in any discipline like art, music etc. A mentor is passionate about what they do. They are open to new ideas. They genuinely care about your growth. They try to steer us in the right way.
They might not be there to babysit us, but they’ll make sure we’ve understood enough so that we can figure out the rest for ourselves.
They’re always available to answer questions and patiently make us understand the why behind every choice. They constantly have new nuggets of wisdom to share. They inspire.
Who is a mentee?
mentee: a person who is advised, trained, or counseled by a mentor
A mentee is someone who is trained by a mentor. That’s advice and guidance for the most part.
What a mentee should do is ask a lot of questions
What a mentee should do is ask a lot of questions (because mentors love to answer questions). A mentor is most happy when they see their mentee making visible progress and asking tough questions. You should always ask why something is the way it is.
This isn’t always a one way street either. In most cases a mentee brings fresh ideas or new perspectives in their questions. This way the mentor gets to see problems in a new light and is able to learn a thing or two.
Everyone needs to have mentors
They constantly improve our lives just by being around. They’re real people we can look up to. They’re a benchmark for us to try and reach.
How do I find a mentor?
Perhaps you already have a mentor and you just didn’t realize it.
There is no formal “I am your mentor” agreement
Its an informal understanding that happens. Maybe there’s someone you know who almost always has all the answers to your questions in a particular field. That someone is your “go-to guy”(or gal) for when you need help.