Wednesday, November 23, 2011

How to Get a Mentor

If you are wondering how to get a mentor, you might be happy to know that there are a number of options available to you. A mentor, in essence, is a person who is experienced in something that you want to gain experience in. That person may be a person who has led a life you want to mimic, or it could be someone in the career you want to be in. Either way, you have different routes to go to get in touch with one. Here are some tips to help you find a mentor for criminal justice careers or life in general.

Moral Mentors

From a moral perspective, you can usually look for a mentor in your place of worship (if you're religious) or in a charitable organization. You might also think about family members that have made a noticeable impact on the world around you. My mother, for instance, usually acts as my mentor. I think she has made good decisions in her life, so I do what I can to mimic her choices in my own life. If education isn't at stake and you are simply looking to become a better person under someone else's guidance, you will be the best judge as to who can guide you.

Career Mentors

If you are looking for a mentor in a specific career, you should look into going through an educational institute to find mentors. The reason why it's better to do it that way is because the mentors associated with school will be at the top of their career, and they will also be looking for people to teach. If you work with someone who is not associated with a school, he or she might not have a proper training method to help you be successful. That person will also likely lack a drive to teach if you have to be the approacher. It's best to just go through an academic institute so that you know you will be well taken care of.

Benefits of Having a Mentor

Once you figure out how to get a mentor, you can find great benefits within your program of study. For one, mentorships take a lot less time to complete than full degree programs at a college. That means that you spend less money and time on your education and more of your efforts are put towards your actual career. You can avoid monotonous textbook work and get on the job training instead. This will help you ease into the work force a lot smoother.

If you already have a degree and want a way to enhance it, a mentorship can act as the guiding light for you. With your mentor, you can learn everything you need to know about your career firsthand. Most of the time, the only way to truly learn about a concept is by encountering it in your work. You can do that with a mentor, and you don't have to sacrifice your career along the way. He or she will share his or her knowledge with you so that you can eventually pass it on to someone else. The chain of knowledge can continue from there.

There really isn't a better way to learn than to work under someone that knows exactly what they're doing. Now that you know how to get a mentor, the only task left is to actually learn underneath one. You can find one just about anywhere if you look hard enough. The decision to be a success now rests in your court. Your future awaits you.

No comments:

Post a Comment