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【Career】Why You Need To Find a Mentor(s) NOW!

2017-04-04 John P. Mullin JobTube聘道网

Source: John Patrick Mullin


When I was a senior in high school, I had to overcome one of the most difficult situations of my young life. During my senior year of football, I received my 8th and final concussion, which would knock me out of competitive sports for the rest of my life. Throughout my life, sports had always been one of the most important aspects of life to me. I even had schools interested in me playing lacrosse and football for them in college. Overnight, I was forced out of one of my life's passions and had a severe brain injury that caused depression, lack of sleep, and a constant pounding headache that lasted for over 6 months.


I was a confused, depressed, and lost 17 year old boy, who needed help and guidance.


Fortunately enough, I had mentors around me who were able to guide me and help me deal with this difficult period in my life. Without this support system of mentors around me, my life's path could've gone in a very different, and potentially negative direction.


While not everyone will need mentors due to a career ending injury, there are a plethora of other reasons why you should have a mentor. Here are my reasons, why you need to find yourself a mentor(s) today!


They’ve been there before


A mentor is by definition, “an experienced, and trusted advisor”. They offer a wealth of experience and wisdom that is invaluable for someone who is in the onset of their career. Mentors can help guide you through complicated deals you’re working on, or a particularly difficult situation with one of your colleagues. Having a mentor can be the critical element in properly navigating a potentially perilous situation.


They open doors to other opportunities


A mentor can open doors for you within your company, at a new job in another firm, and even create potential business opportunities outside your current career scope. Mentors want to help you, and they are willing to share opportunities with you that fit your profile. This reason also goes hand-in-hand with the next reason; that they have an established contact network.


They have an established contact network


Mentors can introduce you to a wide range of people outside your own network. This can be useful for business collaborations, when looking for a job, or when looking for expertise outside your given field. One example of this is that when I was struggling to write my master thesis about the global financial crisis, one of my mentors connected me to his friend, who happened to be an expert on financial regulation. This connection proved to be invaluable to my thesis, and I would’ve never found it on my own.


With two of my mentors, Nicholas Sargen and my father, Stephen Mullin at Nick's book signing. Nick was a great resource while writing my master thesis.


They give you outside perspective


Mentors are able to be candid and look at issues from a totally different perspective. They can help you to look at a situation in a new way and can ask the hard questions needed to solve your problems. When you are struggling with a particularly difficult problem at work, an honest and frank talk with your mentor can make all the difference.


They can inspire you


When you admire the personal work of your mentor, it’s easy to be inspired by them in turn. This can take place in many forms; to be a better employee, to give back to your community, or even to start a new career or take on a new challenge. I’ve personally been inspired by my mentors in more ways than one. Indeed, one that is particularly relevant to this article, is that one of my mentors inspired me to begin writing articles on LinkedIn. I would have never thought of writing LinkedIn articles at my age, and I am very grateful they inspired me to undertake this new challenge.



About the author: John Patrick Mullin is a Senior Industrial Research Analyst at Guotai Junan Securities in Shanghai, China. He also works as the external collaborator for The Institute of Life (IOL).  John is a LinkedIn blogger who writes about his experiences working in one of China's largest investment banks mainly doing research on emerging technologies and trends such as FinTech, Blockchain, and AI/Robotics.  John likes reading, traveling, and trying new and interesting foods. Feel free to get in touch with John on his LinkedIn profile! 

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