Barrovian Careers' Network

What to look for in a mentor

• Be clear what you want: Is it help to hone a particular skillset that you are after? Are you looking to develop your experience in a different field? Are you changing careers? Are you wanting advice on a specific project? How much support (i.e. contact time) do you need? Are you desperate to meet regularly in person or will Skype do? Get the practicalities of the arrangement straight in your own head from the outset, so you know exactly who and what you are looking for.
• Finding someone you want to be like: Approach the kind of person you aspire to be like in the future, if all goes according to plan. Who has the perceived strengths that can help you in those areas where you feel you have weaknesses?
• Equally (if not more) importantly, finding someone you like! A good mentoring relationship is a very personal thing, which works best if there is good chemistry between you. Do you respond well to a hard task-master, or do you need a more sensitive soul to guide you? Do you click with serious types, or are you happier listening to people who are a bit more relaxed? The clues to the kind of person you are dealing with will be there when you have your first proper conversation, so just make sure you listen to your instincts. While you can’t necessarily choose your boss, you can choose your mentor!

How to find and approach a mentor

When you’ve decided who you want to approach based on the questions and guidance above, a strategy for making contact might look something like this:
Email them to ask for an informal chat. The main thing is to get a sense of their career path and the experiences that brought them to where they are now, and more basically, whether it feels like you are going to get along.

Once you know you are keen to enlist their help, ask how they would feel about formalising it as a mentor-mentee relationship. You could suggest a monthly check-in meeting, for example, but remember there are no hard and fast rules, so don’t force it and expect them to commit to your ideal schedule.
You need to be proactive in making the best use of your mentor – they will NOT do the legwork for you.

Finally…

Remember that while a mentor can offer you invaluable advice and perspectives, they are not there to make your choices for you. A good mentor will leave you feeling empowered, encouraging you to take full responsibility for your own career decisions and the consequences that come with them. The rest of your working life is up to you.

2018 Thomas Dutnall (OKW 2010-2017)

“Working for Strix has opened up my eyes. So far in my life I have only experienced business operations through textbooks and teachers but it has been fantastic to put all my past studying from King William’s College and The University of Manchester into practical situations. Catherine has been amazing and explains the reasons behind all the projects I work on and why they are important to the business. This has allowed me to feel like a part of the company. Hong Kong has been amazing. I have always wanted a chance to experience Eastern Asia and its culture and it is safe to say Hong Kong has exceeded my expectations. I find it amazing that one minute you can find yourself battling your way through the crowded streets and then the next in a secluded, forgotten temple.”

2019 Dominic Long (2008-2016)

“Catherine and the team were there to support me throughout my time in Hong Kong. Their support allowed me to assist them fully and I took on tasks which could be used to calculate productivity and efficiency across Strix’s business. I found the job challenging but extremely rewarding and would like to thank everyone at Strix for helping and making me feel very welcome. I would encourage anyone considering this experience to apply.”