Networking: A Guide for Students & Young Professionals
Article by Akashni Weimers
Networking can be a powerful tool to getting you exposure within the fields you wish to find yourself working in. A mentor is an important person that can help you achieve just that!
Here are 5 ways you can find a mentor and how to keep them engaged in you as a student:
5 Places You Can Find Them (for free):
1. On LinkedIn: Join groups where potential mentors converse. Provide thoughtful insights regularly to allow people to get to know you. Create a spiffy profile and invite people to become a contact to you.
2. On Webinars: Digital and remote working is the new norm. There are plenty of webinars out there to listen in on, participate and meet potential mentors.
3. Among Family and Friends: This is one of the easiest avenues. Want to be a Supply Chain Manager and have an aunt in the field? Ask her to become your mentor. Don't have an aunt, but a friend whose dad is a Logistics Manager instead? Ask him to teach you about the field, or better yet, take you to his job for a day.
4. From Your College/ University: There are tons of people at your school that know people in the field you're looking to get into. Learn about your lecturers. He/she may have worked a few gigs in Corporate SA before trying their hands at academia.
5. On Other Social Media Platforms (even Instagram): Build a brand for yourself and market it. Want to be a veterinarian? Post a daily news article on developments in medical sciences for puppies. Also, have important things to say and gain followers to spur on enthusiasm into who you are and your interests in a career.
5 Tips On What To Do Now That You've Introduced Yourself to A Mentor (How to Keep Them Engaged in You):Mentors are human. The good ones generally want to help you anyway. So channel that vibrant energy into directing your career path to your favour:
1. Be respectful. Talk with humility. Don't boast or brag about yourself. Your mentor cares that you're not arrogant and someone worth helping. Ask "What types of challenges did you face coming into the work place for the first time and what advice do you have for me?" instead of affirming "I think I'd be good at handling pressure because I personally believe I've handled a lot in my life. Any company would be lucky to have me work in it".
2. Ask for an informational interview: That's right! Ask the mentor for a one- on- one meeting, where you get them to answer a set of pre written interview questions about the job, personality types and industry they're working in.
3. Ask for a series of follow up discussions: If point 2 goes well of course. And don't make it long - 5x 30 min sessions are a good starting point for example. In each session have something clear to talk about I.e. Session 1: How to be confident in your first job.
4. Don't be pushy: No one likes a pushy person. If your mentor doesn't have time to meet, thank them for their time politely and check in after a week or 2. If this is going nowhere, stay motivated (a very important skill!), keep calm and move onto a new mentor.
5. DON'T ASK FOR A JOB right away: This is often a mistake many students make. Everyone knows you need it and safely assumes that that's part of the reason you're here. However, keep the conversation focused on self development/ learning. Your character is portrayed with more integrity to a mentor if you show that you are committed to this development for long term gains and not just about what you can get out of them short term. Ultimately this will better entice them to assist you in finding a job, which is what you hoped for anyway.
