The benefits of becoming a career mentor
Becoming a career mentor can be a great way to boost your own skills, widen your network and give something back to the profession.
Mentoring a less experienced CA can help you to develop skills of your own, garner fresh perspectives, widen your network and boost your pride.
- Grow as a manager and leader
- Develop your communication skills
- Expand your network
- Gain fresh professional perspectives
- Harness the feelgood factor
Grow as a manager and leader
The process of guiding someone toward their desired career goals is a great means of developing your management and leadership skills, because being a good mentor isn’t just telling someone what to do, it’s about providing them with signposts, empowering them to learn and find their own way.
Develop your communication skills
To be a good mentor requires a range of effective communication, interpersonal and listening skills. Emotional intelligence and empathy are also key attributes and working through the process can help you to develop them all.
The best part of the programme is working with young accountants who are full of ambition, but not quite clear on the path they should follow.
- Graeme Reid CA, ICAS career mentor.
Widen your network
Not only will your mentee gain access to your network, you will gain access to theirs, and the positive word-of-mouth generated by the process will reflect well upon you amongst professionals you may not yet have met.
Gain fresh perspectives
Whilst a mentee will often seek out a mentor according to their areas of specialism, they may have ambitions to use the skills you help them develop in new ways, which in turn exposes you to fresh perspectives, ideas and approaches.
Harness the feelgood factor
The main aim of getting involved as a mentor is to help a less experienced colleague achieve their ambitions, but there’s a definite sense of pride and personal satisfaction to be gained from knowing that their success is, at least in part, thanks to your guidance and inspiration.