Why it is important to have a mentor

A couple of weeks ago, we were having an informal round table discussion about careers and the future of work as we traditionally know it.

One of the professionals at the table, Kate, a strong believer in learning from other people narrated her journey as she navigated a career change a few years ago.

While she was sure that she wanted a change, she wasn't entirely sure in which direction she was best suited to go.

After due diligence - analysing her skills, competencies and what avenues were available to her, she made a list of all the people she knew who had successfully made a career transition.

Most of them, she felt, had tackled the challenges she was facing and could therefore warn her on the pitfalls to avoid.

Carol, on the other hand, had quit her job a year ago. She had a clear idea on exactly where she wanted her career to go and what kind of business she wanted to start.

Because she had this sort of clarity, she did not really see the need in creating a support network or seeking out a mentor. She had planned a few months' worth of expenses and figured she would be making money by the time her money ran out.

Six months after she left formal employment, she was frustrated and seemed to be hitting brick walls. She found that she had to deal with unexpected hurdles such as accessing finance, finding skilled staff and creating a referral system.

While employed, she had never had to face these kind of challenges and therefore assumed she could transfer her corporate skills to self-employment. But wading in untested waters required a different set of skills and a resilience that was not automatic to most people.

While both professionals ended up making great strides with the right guidance, Carol took almost a year to get her business back on track as she had to remedy her mistakes, some of which cost her significantly in terms of time and money.

Kate, on the other hand, made some mistakes but the guidance of a good mentor helped her avoid certain pitfalls that would have been detrimental to her career progress.

TIPS - When seeking a career change or to climb the ladder in your current career, seek out someone who you feel has successfully taken this road and find out how they navigated the challenges. - Having a mentor gives you the advantage of learning from mistakes without having to make them yourself.