Having a mentor in the early years of your career can be incredibly valuable as it helps you learn from other people’s experience and gain new perspectives that can help shape your career. But there are three common missteps younger employees often make in attempting to cultivate relationships with mentors in their organizations.
They target the person with the highest status. The better known the individual, the fiercer the competition for their time and mentorship will be. It may be far more practical to seek out a mentor who is one or two levels up in your company, not six or eight. While they’re surely busy, they probably have more time to focus on mentorship, as compared to senior leaders whose travel, managerial, and budget responsibilities can be punishing.
They make the ask too soon. Asking, “Will you be my mentor?” after the first or second time you’ve met this person is a big no. While it’s true that being bold sometimes gets results, the critical caveat is that you need to develop a relationship and a context for your request. Look for opportunities to interact with this person. You may have commonalities that can help create genuine rapport, such as a shared alma mater or an interest in sports or hobbies.
They think mentoring is a one-size-fits-all relationship. Many young professionals look for a mentor who can help them climb the ladder in their company or industry. Early in your career, it can be useful to have an assortment of mentors to guide you — first, because they may have different insights that can help you in your career journey, and second, because you’re asking for less time and commitment from each individual mentor.