Today more than ever mentors are needed because, quite frankly, everything is moving ahead at the speed of light. Young professionals just joining the workforce can quickly get overwhelmed with the speed at which technology changes their jobs from day to day, and also from all the pressures that are put on them to perform. Performance is critical in any job, at any level and so the pressure is on. Mentors can help their mentees learn to work through these issues as part of what they do, but they can also teach them how to actually keep up with expectations when possible – and when to let them go when they can’t.
Qualifications of a Mentor
When looking at any list of what it takes to be a good mentor, the first thing that is often on that list is to be a good listener. A mentor needs to know where that person is now in his or her life before it would be possible to bring them forward. This is why many large corporations hire someone with a masters in social work. Social workers have been trained to listen and assess problems to be dealt with.
Someone with an online social work masters also knows how technology can be an integral part of a job and can help someone afraid of the hi-tech world they’ve entered to learn coping mechanisms. Some universities with MSW online programs have entire segments of their program dedicated to helping social work students learn how to use technology and how to help others overcome their fear of it.
If You Have Been Tasked with Mentoring
There are certain requirements which goes along with the ‘job.’ One of the most important things would be availability. You can’t always determine where and when your counsel will be required so it is imperative that you are flexible enough to be there for your charges. A mentor motivates their mentees to do and be all that they can be while helping them understand that there will be obstacles along the way that just might not be easy to overcome.
A mentor will inspire, but also help their charges to understand that no one is perfect and sometimes you just need to pick yourself up out of the dust and start over again. Finally, and by no means the last thing that a mentor will be is a good example; not only in how they do a job, but in their core values as a leader. A mentor should be, as much as possible, beyond reproach.
Be a Good Mentor
By examining all of these characteristics of a good mentor, you can see why many large corporations are appointing one or more people to mentor those who are being on-boarded. Too much talent is lost to the competition because they got discouraged in their current position and there was no one to help them through the rough times. They moved on to bigger and better things because someone was there to guide them. Don’t let your company lose new talent. Mentoring is an up and coming ‘job’ and one that should be on your ‘most wanted’ list.
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