Blogs

“I don’t know how to navigate the professional world. It is like I am an outsider looking in. As an African American woman, I don’t have any willing connections in my family. I am actively networking, taking classes to gain new skills, writing blogs, and interning; this way I can groom myself into the professional I want to be…”

My answer went like this:

Thank you for your note & for expressing your challenges so honestly. I will share that I have been mentored and I have mentored. In most cases where I was on the receiving end, I actively pursued the
relationship. There have been both good AND bad experiences on either
side – I chose to learn from both.

One of the conversations that came out of the recent Women of Color Career Success telesummit I hosted focused on the topic of mentoring and where to find them. There were 3 strategies highlighted from the panel:

1. Pursue mentoring relationships with people who already at a level for which you are aspiring – seeking a combination of mentors with similar backgrounds as you AND those who can share a completely
   different perspective;
2. Peer-to-peer mentoring – reach out to positive, motivated colleagues and others within your field for idea/resource sharing; and
3. “remote” mentoring – seek out books, presentations, and media that may have messages you can apply to your own situation for growth. If something really appeals to you, consider contacting the author, etc to
   let them know how their ideas have helped you – social media really
   opens possibilities here. You never know until you try.

“Mentoring” was very loosely defined in each case but the ultimate message was that you can learn from just about anyone’s experiences.

Lastly I will add these tips:

* Don’t be intimidated to ask anyone you have identified as a possible mentor for you. The worst they can do is say no. * You should not expect
someone else to invest in you what you don’t invest in yourself and
others. Definitely look at ways you can mentor and give back. * And if
you happen to run into that not-so-great experience, you can learn
lessons from that too. It just may be “what not to do”.

I hope others will chime in and offer their advice and perspectives on your questions.

Best success to you, Tanya

What are your thoughts around mentoring and what advice would you offer someone for finding a mentor?

About the Author: Tanya Smith of Be Promotable helps ambitious professional women of color develop a competitive personal brand strategy for the career of their dreams. To get instant access to
her free special report on Simple Steps High Performing Sistas Need to Know for Career Success stop by and visit http://www.bepromotable.com.