Having a mentor can help you effectively navigate your career. Since most life science professionals understand the value of having a mentor, why don’t they have one?
Having a mentor can help you effectively navigate your career in areas such as deciding on the right career path, dealing with politics in the workplace, and evaluating job options. Mentoring is associated with positive career outcomes including career recognition/success and skill/competence development.* A mentor can provide an outside opinion on short term and long term goals that affect your career. Since most life science professionals understand the value of having a mentor, why don’t they have one? Its simply because they don’t know how to find a good mentor.
We live in a time where it appears as though we’re hyper connected. Everyone has an online network and the majority of people have connections on multiple social media platforms. Despite having all of this access, many professionals have never felt more alone. They are craving meaningful conversations and interactions help them achieve career success. This is when having a mentor can be most beneficial. Here are four places where you can find your next mentor!
Your Current or Last Job
If you’re employed, one of the best places to find a mentor is at your current organization. You already have exposure to these people and they might know you or you can become acquainted easily. This level of familiarity is important when looking for a mentor. Many individuals that would consider mentoring you want to know that you are a serious professional with innate potential, so they aren’t wasting their time.
If you aren’t employed or don’t particularly like the company you work for, consider looking for a mentor at your last organization. You might feel more comfortable discussing your career with someone who isn’t employed at the same place. A good choice would be a person who is working in a field, department, or position that is similar to your ideal role.
Professional Networking Events
What professional associations are you a part of? If you aren’t a member of any, now is the time to visit some in your area. Most states have life science associations and non-profit organizations specifically geared towards your industry. On a national level, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is a great place for networking. You can often find leaders in the private sector, government, academia, and research institutions that are members of these associations. BioSpace Talent Connect provides the opportunity for hundreds of life science professionals to network with each other and with hiring managers from respected organizations.
Attending professional networking events allows you to learn relevant information pertaining to your industry, establish more credibility, and improve the quality of your network. Building relationships with other members and attendees can be beneficial to your career. You could start a conversation with a potential mentor in an association and then follow up by asking them to have an informational interview.
Alumni Groups
Getting active in alumni events associated with your alma mater can also be helpful in finding a mentor. You can join meet up groups to watch sporting events, attend alumni career fairs, or go to alumni fundraising events. Putting yourself in close proximity to other alumni is your main goal. Alumni groups allow you to expand your network and include others who graduated before and after you did.
Most alumni are interested in helping others who also graduated from their university. A lot of universities encourage mentorship amongst alumni, so it’s a good idea to check and see if your university already has a mentoring program that you can participate in. In the event there isn’t one, you can take initiative to approach another alum about mentorship.
Your Online Network
Professionals or executives who you know moderately well or have met in person usually make the best mentors, because people tended to feel more attached in these situations. However, if you can’t find anyone that falls into those categories, then searching through your online network is a viable option. LinkedIn is a great place to view someone’s background, experience, and qualifications. They also provide suggestions on others you should connect with based on your current industry and network. You might find a potential mentor organically that way.
Recently, LinkedIn rolled out a new Career Advice feature that is designed to help members connect for mentorship opportunities.* They can pair you up with the right person depending on your interests and work experience. You can have a high degree of confidence that in their network of 530 million+ users someone could match up well with you.
Many people give up on the idea of mentorship because they don’t know how to find a great mentor. You might be overlooking a potential mentor that is already in your network: at your current or last job, in a professional association, or in an alumni group. Cultivating relationships with these individuals can help you gain insight that allows you to progress in your career development. As an alternative, you could look for a mentor online. Regardless of where you find your mentor, increasing the amount of career support is crucial to your success.
Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2352144/
Porschia Parker is a Certified Coach, Professional Resume Writer, and Founder of Fly High Coaching. She empowers ambitious professionals to add $10K on average to their salaries.
