Even in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, you should always lookout for the best ways to increase your chances of a great career. You can be on the lookout for opportunities to volunteer, aside from your regular job. Now that a lot of companies and businesses are operating on a remote basis, you may have a lot of time on your hands and one way you can ensure that you stay updated in your career is by having a mentor to guide you.

At Lingo Africa, we have some clients who have been able to navigate their careers with the help of a mentor. Now, when we talking about having a mentor, it is important to understand that your mentor does not have to be someone like Aliko Dangote. We have realized that a lot of young career professionals usually think that their mentor has to be someone who is globally known – this is untrue.

You only need someone who is smart and who has achieved some certain things that you hope to achieve. You can set your achievable goals based on where you currently are in life, this will help you understand the kind of mentor you need to help you get to your next level. Then you can focus on a new set of goals. Now, how do you select a mentor from the plethora of smart, hardworking altruistic people out there?

Doing this has become easier than before with the arrival of a professional social media platform like LinkedIn. As the Coronavirus pandemic keeps spreading in various communities, you can even use the free time you have to study the online footprint of professionals in your industry, who you identify as potential mentors and reach out to them.

Now doing this might be a little tricky. Don’t forget that these people are strangers. Do you just send a message and say, hey! I would like you to be my mentor? Absolutely not!

Get to know the person first – More people are now online than ever before. Study what they post and when they post to understand their schedule. The stuff they talk about will also give you an insight into their personality and you can decide if this person is worth being a mentor, because not everyone has that capacity.

Relate with them often – You can start by commenting on their posts and express interest to know more about what they are talking about. This is the easiest way to engage, rather than sending a million messages to their inbox. Show appreciation for their work and content first on the timeline and when you express interest to know more, they will have no choice but to notice you. For instance, you have an interest in Human Resources and a potential mentor is always posting about HR best practices, you can engage with him/her and ask relevant questions and they will give you answers.

Help out – Many people still do not understand that in order to get attention from someone you believe can mentor you, you must add some value to them first. This is very important! Think of a skill you have that you can easily perform and your potential mentor needs, offer to help the person. This will establish a link between you two and make you a resourceful person in their eyes. This way, when you need help, they will be willing to help you, either with valuable information or even a link-up.

Whatever you do, do not take these tips for granted. They have worked for several of our clients. Go out and find yourself a mentor today!

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/mentor-your-way-to-the-top-of-your-career-tips-to-remember/

Lingo Africa

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Good afternoon!

TGIF!

Good morning!

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A good piece... Relating with the person you wish to talk to first by reacting to their updates is a good way to get noticed and build prior connection

Genesils:
A good piece... Relating with the person you wish to talk to first by reacting to their updates is a good way to get noticed and build prior connection

It is. Thank you for your comment.

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