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When you’re busy building a business or career while juggling family and social life, it’s hard to find time for career-related training. One way to improve your knowledge is by taking a course or program. Another is to read books. Another effective way is to learn from a mentor who has already reached a level of success that you want to achieve. Finding the perfect mentor is not easy, but there are some tips you can follow to find the right one for you.
Determine your mentor’s teaching style
To learn from someone who has an online presence, start with an online search. Follow this person on their social media platforms, watch their videos, or subscribe to their newsletters. If they have free seminars or workshops, sign up for them. Does their teaching style and what they teach resonate with you?
Whether your mentor is a well-known celebrity or someone you know personally, ask yourself if your mentor challenges you. For example, if you just became an entrepreneur and your potential mentor started a business six months ago, your mentor may not be able to guide you. However, if your potential mentor has owned a successful business for ten years, you have a greater distance to climb to catch up to that same point.
Take action after you choose a mentor
When you’ve found someone you like as a mentor, ask yourself if your mentor can motivate you to get results.
Your mentor should inspire you to take action when you watch their video or teach you about a new concept. Their message should excite you so much that you want to learn and change.
Their mentorship should have you thirsting for more knowledge about the same topic or have you madly taking notes. You should be excited about applying what they are trying to teach you as soon as possible.
To get the best results from working with a mentor, have some goals in mind. The worst scenario is to be too general about what you want your mentor to teach you. If your mentor posts a lot of learning material online, focus on one topic at a time, not getting your hands on everything they have ever published. If your mentor wants to help you improve your skills, don’t set a general goal, such as, “I want to get better at my career.” Set specific goals and share these with your mentor.
Choose a mentor who chooses you
Getting feedback from your mentor is important. I’ve taken online courses from experts whom I respect as mentors. I understand their lessons, but I’m unsure whether I’m interpreting their learning points correctly.
At a workshop or live webinar, choose a mentor who answers questions and provides feedback to participants. This style helps you to gauge if you understand what they teach.
If you can schedule an hour with your mentor, have your hour planned in advance. Prepare questions to ask your mentor, or list what you’d like to improve on before your meeting. Set clear expectations and outcomes to show your mentor that you respect their time.
For example, if you want to improve your presentation skills, ask your mentor if they can give you some pointers and feedback on the way you speak at a presentation. Be prepared to show them part of your presentation so they can provide you with specific tips and feedback.
After receiving feedback, take some time to reflect on what you’ve learned. Was the feedback valuable? Can you use the feedback to make improvements? Did your mentor seem genuinely invested in you? A mentor who is genuinely invested will encourage you, tell you what progress you’ve made, be honest in their critique, and help you set goals for next steps.
Keep moving forward
Finding the right mentor is like an investment. You want someone who is approachable, excited about what you want to learn, and honest when mentoring you. It will feel uncomfortable and even painful to be told that you aren’t doing something well.
In life, the best direction to keep moving in is forward. After you reach one milestone in the road, aim for a new one. Always keep challenging yourself and you will grow as a person.
Key takeaways
Finding the perfect mentor is a search for a two-way relationship. Your mentor should be someone you are inspired to learn from, but also someone who is excited about seeing your career grow.
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Vanya Wryter Consulting Services 
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