3 Things a Good Mentor Will Do For You

A mentor can help you at any stage in your career but not all mentors are created equal. You don't want a mentor that simply listens to you complain about your job, or your supervisor, or the dream job that got away. You could, after all, simply see a counselor if you just want someone to listen to you talk.

An effective and useful mentor will do the following:

1. Make you uncomfortable. Your mentor will inspire and challenge you to move outside of your comfort zone and do something you might find difficult, such as accept that public speaking request or taking on that assignment you feel unqualified for. A good mentor knows that doing the thing you fear will produce incredible growth in you as a person and will bring great benefits to your career.

2. Challenge you to act. An insightful mentor will allow you to share the things that are bothering you or frustrating you about your work and career. However, your mentor will move you to take some course of action rather than being immobilized by fear or anxiety. Simply taking one step can go a long way toward becoming unstuck in a difficult situation.

3. Encourage you to think differently. Not only will your mentor encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and do something, he or she will also help you disrupt unhelpful or harmful ways of thinking and challenge you to consider things from a new perspective.

A mentor who can help you challenge you in the above three ways is definitely one worth keeping, or seeking out.