Mentors Can Make a Difference in Your Career

by Paul J. Kostek

For many of us, our first mentors were parents, other family members or neighbors. In elementary and high school, we probably looked to a teacher or guidance counselor for help. And in college, we likely turned to a particular professor or an industry person we met during an internship for guidance and leadership.

Engineers just beginning their professional careers need to find a mentor — or mentors — to help them make career decisions. Often times, this person is a supervisor, manager or project leader, who can help new engineers understand the company culture and guide them on how to advance in the workplace.

It’s Important to Get Input

When making career decisions, input from others can be extremely helpful. Seek out advice from people who have experience in and knowledge about the industry, and who know you well enough to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Such people can help you determine whether or not an opportunity is a good fit for you. They can also supply unbiased input on career directions. You may not always like what you hear; but, seeking others' opinions can help.

Finding the Right Mentors

How do you build a team of mentors? You can start by continuing to use family, friends and college professors as advisers. Look to people with whom you have worked. Consider peers and colleagues you’ve met in professional organizations, such as the IEEE. You can even rely on financial advisers and stockbrokers, insurance brokers, personal and professional associates, and religious leaders. Each will have a different perspective, and be able to provide you with useful information to make intelligent decisions about your future.

You may want to meet with mentors individually, but you can also ask several to meet with you in a group — a so-called, "kitchen cabinet" — to help you assess your career. The best times to undertake such assessments are when you are preparing for a performance review, considering graduate school, assessing a job offer, or starting a company.

What You Can Do for Them

You now know what mentors can do for you. But what can you do for them? Everyone likes to feel that their opinion is valued. Let them know you appreciate their effort on your behalf. Repay their assistance by offering to help them in some way. Let others know how much these mentors helped you. Public acknowledgment may actually help them develop additional contacts as you are establishing your own.

Be a Mentor Yourself

As you move through your career, be open to being a mentor yourself. Think of it as a chance to return the favor you received from those who mentored you. By helping others, you’ll expose yourself to new technologies, different perspectives, a greater business sense, and perhaps even new professional challenges and opportunities.

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Paul Kostek is a principal at Air Direct Solutions, a provider of systems engineering services, and 2003 chair of the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES). He has served as IEEE-USA President and as Region 6 PACE Coordinator.