The Benefits of BEING a Mentor​

We often read about the benefits of finding a mentor(s) and how it will be a positive influence on your career.   And what you have read are very real benefits, finding a good mentor(s) is critical to learning and growing throughout your career.  Being open to learning from mentors at every stage of your career is essential.
But we don’t often talk about the benefits that come with being the mentor to a student, young professional, midlife career changer or advanced professional. 
What’s in it for me, you ask?  LOTS!

• You have the opportunity to share mistakes that you have made in your own career and how you overcame them and in turn learned how to avoid future mistakes that could have become career busters. Mistakes can be good, with risk comes the potential for error.   Gauging and controlling the risk is what is important. 
• You have the ability to be a part of growing our workforce and helping to make someone become a solid contributor in their profession.
• You are integral in helping someone to understand the real world of work, not the tv or movie version but what to actually expect in the workplace.
• You have the ability to coach someone to strive for something they never expected to achieve.
• You can help to build their confidence.
• You can help someone realize and pursue their dream, especially those dreams that may not be part of the traditional career path.
• Mentoring someone else can enhance your own skills and professional growth.
• If mentoring someone within your own organization, it can help towards development and retention of talent.
• Mentoring is about building relationships and building relationships expands your own network and that of the person you are mentoring.

Have you been a mentor?  What did you learn from the experience?