Having a mentor… What’s in it for me?

By Ryan Samia, SIOP Blogger

Over the last couple of years, I have had a lot of mentors who have shaped me and continue to contribute to both my professional and personal development. Having a pool of mentors is very beneficial as I get to know the technical aspects of my chosen career, learn relational and social skills needed to succeed in the organization, and develop other expertise outside my work.

Nowadays, mentoring has a more social approach as compared to the traditional one-on-one interaction. Mentoring could now come from a variety of other resources such as LinkedIn, SIOP, webinars, and even group mentoring. Regardless of the mentoring medium, we should always ask ourselves what’s in it for us by having a mentor. Listed below are my four key takeaways:

1. Opens up networking opportunities as they have introducing you to their professional contacts
2. Teaches you the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for optimal performance including tacit knowledge
3. Encourages you to think outside the box and expands your capabilities
4. Enable you to develop my leadership skills as I become a mentor to others

Have you ever had a mentor? Why did you choose to have a mentor? What did you learn during the mentoring relationship? Feel free to share ideas below.

Comments

[Ryan Samia]

I am not familiar in the NYC area. SIOP has a group mentoring program that you can avail as well. Perhaps there are local SIOP groups in the area that you can check too.

[natacha unelus]

I've never had a mentor but I would love to have one and don't know where to officially begin. I belong to several groups on LinkedIn. I am also a mentor by nature. Do you have any suggestions on how to gain a mentor in the NYC area?

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