Mentors have the power to positively influence a technician’s career and life. Mentors can help mentees increase their leadership skills, job satisfaction, and more. In fact, 97 percent of people with a mentor feel they are highly impactful and valuable (Sage.com).
Having a mentor can be a very positive experience, but as a mentee, you must apply full effort to get the most out of your mentoring experience. Here are some ways to get the most out of your mentorship.
1. Be prepared
Technicians should conduct self-assessment(s) to identify what they need to work on, their career goals, their personal goals, etc. It is important for technicians to be upfront and honest with themselves and their abilities in order to fully benefit from their mentorship.
Next, even if technicians think they know their mentor well, they should take some time to do some online research. Consider looking at their LinkedIn profile or asking the shop owners or manager about the mentor’s background. If technicians can get the full scoop on their mentor upfront, it can help them better understand how their mentor can help them.
After researching their mentor, technicians should also brainstorm questions they want to ask their mentor, like:
- What’s the best advice you can give me to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?
- Would you do anything differently with your career, if given the opportunity?
- If you were in my shoes, what workplace skills would you focus on building first?
Lastly, technicians should evaluate the goals they want to achieve while working with their mentor. They should think about both short-term and long-term goals, along with the skills and training they will need to achieve their goals—all of which their mentor can help with.
2. Be responsible
Technicians need to respect their mentor, no matter what. In order to show they’re taking their mentorship seriously, technicians should:
- Show up on time for mentor meetings
- Follow through on tasks
- Stay in touch with their mentor regularly
- Prepare themselves to receive feedback
3. Be open to different styles of learning
Every mentor has their own teaching/coaching style. It’s important for the technician to be open to different types of learning activities. This could include:
- Job shadowing
- Assisting in jobs
- Hands-on training
- Introductions to other professionals
This article was originally published on WrenchWay.com
