In any given industry, success isn’t always a result of what you know — but rather who you know. While building a network of trusted peers is advice typically given to mentees, mentors can also profit from doing the same thing. As a mentor, you have the unique opportunity to gain valuable insights from the different perspectives of people you teach. But more importantly, mentoring also lets you expand your professional network and spark new relationships with people in your field, something that can play a key role in helping you solidify your place as an expert and establish your legacy.
In order to start creating those connections, however, you first need to master the art of attraction. As the market of mentoring continues to grow, it’s becoming more and more difficult for experienced professionals (like you) to stand out from the crowd. So, how can you showcase your skills and start getting mentees to reach out? Here are some tips for establishing credibility.
Stay Up To Date
Changes happen in every line of work — even yours. No matter how experienced or skilled you may be in your industry, there’s always more to learn. It’s important that you keep an eye out for updates and advancements in the workplace, whether they be technological, social, or political. Not only will staying up to date ensure that you provide the best guidance possible to mentees, but it can also work wonders for maintaining your reputation and credibility. The last thing you want as a new mentor is to come across out of touch or (even worse) old-fashioned to up-and-coming professionals in the market.
Practice What You Preach
Nothing discredits a mentor quite like talking the talk, but not being able to walk the walk. As you build your curriculum and start dishing out advice to mentees, it’s important that you remember to always teach from your own experience. Use tangible examples from your career that apply to your mentee’s situation. Or better yet, walk them through a problem in real time, demonstrating how you would go about finding the right solution. Your goal as a mentor is to show your mentee how to overcome challenges in their career, not tell them.
Use Problem Solving Skills
The easiest and most effective way to generate word of mouth and gain credibility as a mentor is through actually helping solve your mentees’ problems. Some mentors like to talk a big game without ever saying anything of real value — but that’s not going to be you. As a top tier LevelNext mentor, you are going to let your experience and problem solving skills speak for themselves. When a mentee seeks out an industry expert for advice, it’s not because they have extra time on their hands they’re trying to kill. It’s because they’re looking for real answers to real issues. By helping them reach a solution, you will gain a loyal business contact (and, some might say, even a friend) for life.