When navigating your first job after university, having a mentor at the start of your career can be an invaluable resource for several reasons:
- Help you make informed decisions to progress faster in your career and help you prepare accordingly
- Avoiding making bad mistakes as you get used to the workplace/company culture
- Discussing any problems/concerns you experience
- Introduce you to people and organisations who can also help you
A mentor is usually someone with several years’ experience in your chosen field who will work with you on an ongoing one-to-one basis, and who not only give you advice but also help with motivating, empowering and better understanding yourself and your aims. The amount of time and involvement in a mentoring relationship is something that you would both agree between you – there are no set rules for this.
Finding a mentor can take a lot of time and you feel may nervous reaching out to new people, so using Lboro Connect is an easy to find someone who is interested in mentoring you. Lboro Connect is a student-alumni platform where members clearly outline on their profiles if they would like to become a mentor and how they can assist. Click here for more information on using Lboro Connect, and once you have a profile click the ‘Resources‘ tab or further information about using the platform for mentoring.
Finally, most jobs are found through networking – so it’s beneficial having a mentor who can increase your network.
