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So, You Want a Mentor?

By sean on Wednesday, September 19, 2007

“Always two there are, no more, no less: a master and an apprentice.”
– Yoda

Two years ago I decided that I needed a mentor. I needed someone at my company to help shepherd me, to help me grow as a person and as a professional. I did not look to a boss or friends (co-workers) – I wanted my own Yoda.

I asked someone that I held in high esteem and who was well-respected in my company – an individual I thought I could learn a lot from. When I asked the question, “Would you consider being my mentor?” I was asked a question in return. My future mentor asked me what I was looking for in a mentor.

Fortunately I had answers to the question. I was looking for a mentor to help me develop my full potential. Specifically:

• Build my confidence and trust in myself
• Empower me to see what I could do
• Help me chart a path to career growth
• Challenge me
• Stimulate my learning with no pressure
• Share personal experiences
• Teach me something
• Explain things
• Offer a different perspective
• Listen, understand and be a confidant
• Help me identify and work with my strengths and weaknesses

Before you start making a short list of people you’d want to be your mentor, you need to conduct a self-exploration exercise. You need to determine what you’re looking for in a mentor. When you have fully acknowledged the areas you’re looking to develop, then you can go about finding the best person to make that happen.

Tomorrow, I will explore the top qualities of a good mentor.

Career Advancement

Yoda: The Best Mentor Ever

By sean on Tuesday, September 18, 2007

“Help you I can, yes.”
– Yoda

In the original Star Wars trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker decides that he needs help on his quest to become a Jedi knight. Luke needs guidance and training so he can unlock his true potential and master the Force.

Luke travels to an isolated, swamp-ridden planet, where he finds Yoda who helps Luke to learn and grow by facing his fears and building up his confidence. Yoda, a wise and trusted counselor, becomes Luke’s mentor.

Yoda played an important role in Luke’s life – he helped Luke grow as a person and served as his guide for his Jedi journey. Their relationship developed over time, and Luke reaped the rewards of Yoda’s wisdom and experience.

Yoda set difficult challenges for his protégé, and encouraged him to figure out ways to accomplish the tasks. That’s where a mentor differs from a boss or a friend.

A boss is focused on the job or task at hand. They will tell you how to do something or show you how to do it. A mentor helps you believe in yourself.

A friend will tell you the things you want to hear, while a mentor will tell you the things you need to hear. Yoda did not sugarcoat the truth. Instead, he voiced his concerns and feelings directly and openly.

A mentor can have a significant impact on your personal and professional development. This week I will explore different aspects of the mentor-protégé relationship. At the conclusion of the series, you should have a better understanding of the advantages of having a mentor. Stay tuned – and may the Force be with you.

Career Advancement

Mentoring Can Be a Boost to Your Company

By sean on Monday, September 17, 2007

“Ecologists tell us that a tree planted in a clearing of an old forest will grow more successfully than one planted in an open field. The reason, it seems, is that the roots of the forest tree are able to follow the intricate pathways created by former trees and thus embed themselves more deeply. Similarly, human beings thrive best when we grow in the presence of those who have gone before. Our roots may not follow every available pathway, but we are able to become more fully ourselves because of the presence of others.”
– Lois J. Zachary, The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships

Learning is the fundamental process in mentoring, so both parties – the mentor and the protégé – need to have a connection for meaningful learning to take place.

It’s also important for the mentor to demonstrate a genuine interest in the protégé. And a mentor has to have the desire to share their knowledge and experience. Their reward comes from seeing their protégé grow and develop under their tutelage. As the protégé gains experience and standing in the company, the success of the protégé will naturally be reflected on the mentor.

But above all, there is genuine satisfaction of playing a pivotal role in another individual’s success. The mentor’s vision and values will be a part of the protégé for the remainder of their career.

Meaningful learning will have a profound effect on the mentor, the protégé, and quite possibly the company as a whole. According to Dr. Zachary, mentoring can:

• Help retain the next generation of leaders
• Improve leadership and managerial skills
• Develop new leaders
• Enhance career development
• Place individuals with higher potential on the fast track professionally

Strong mentoring relationships are positively associated with career satisfaction and employee retention. And people who have mentors are more confident, enthusiastic and successful in their jobs.

Does your company have a formal mentoring program? How has it benefited you?

Career Options

Television Shapes Our Career Paths

By sean on Thursday, August 30, 2007

When I was young I knew what my parents did for a living. My father was a petroleum geologist and my mother was a teacher. I never grew up thinking that I would follow in their career footsteps. It’s not that I wasn’t proud of what they did. I think a big part of not wanting to follow in their footsteps is that television shaped my future career aspirations. There weren’t any shows about people who found oil and gas reserves and “Welcome Back, Kotter” was my only teacher-influenced television program.

The world of TV got my wheels turning as I thought about my future career path. Through television, I was introduced to more than characters and storylines. I learned about different jobs and that, for the most part, my TV role models had jobs they loved and were passionate about. Here are the top eight TV shows that had a strong effect on my career path:

Bewitched – The world of advertising never looked better to me.
Happy Days – Mr. Cunningham ran a hardware store and Fonzie had an auto repair shop. I could relate to those jobs since my father took me to the hardware store in his car that was constantly in the shop in the early 1980s.
The Brady Bunch – Mike’s study (man cave) was huge, and he made architecture look exciting.
Adam-12 and Barney Miller – Law enforcement careers were presented in two very different formats. Regardless, I wanted nothing to do with potentially getting shot.
WKRP in Cincinnati – I learned all about the radio: sales, programming, on-air talent, weather and promotions.
Emergency! – I got a good look at what goes on in the daily lives of the fire department and hospital work, and everyday life-and-happenings.
The Love Boat – I discovered that I could be a captain, doctor, cruise director or bartender and never get sea sick.

That was 30 years ago. Today, children have a much more diverse group of television role models.

Bob the Builder introduces kids to the field of construction and teaches them important lessons along the way.
SpongeBob Squarepants is the world’s best food-service worker. His boss, Mr. Crabs is an entrepreneurial restaurateur.
Hannah Montana is a rock star, and her father is a songwriter and her manager.
The father on Cory in the House is the personal chef to the president of the United States.
Kim Possible’s mom is a brain surgeon and her dad is a rocket scientist.
Each episode of Higglytown Heroes educates kids on a different career.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody is a comedy about identical twins living at the Tipton Hotel with their single mother who is a lounge singer at the hotel.

Bewitched had the biggest influence on my future career – Darrin Stevens was in advertising. I’m a professional communicator, but my wife is definitely not a witch like Samantha.

Based on what my older daughter watches, she’ll never leave high school since she’s hooked on High School Musical.

I’m more concerned about my four-year old daughter. She has high expectations, and I hope reality sets in soon. When she grows up, she wants to be the yellow Power Ranger, and serve on the Justice League.

Did the TV you watched as a child impact your future career choice? Does it have an impact on your kids?

Career Options

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

By sean on Wednesday, August 29, 2007

This past weekend, my oldest daughter operated a lemonade stand and started a dog-walking business. She also asked me to take her to the local children’s hospital so she could collect the broken toys, repair them and return them anonymously. That’s pretty ambitious for a nine-year-old.

She wasn’t interested in getting paid – she just wanted a job.

Sunday evening, I asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up. As she’s gotten older, her answers to that question have changed. This time, when I asked her, I wasn’t really surprised with her response. She wants to be a large-animal veterinarian who specializes in horses – during the week. On the weekend, she wants to be a paleontologist. And as a hobby she wants to be an artist (in her free time).

I know that the careers she chose are also linked to her interests. We have three dogs, a cat and two guinea pigs, so we go to the vet frequently. She loves riding horses, so becoming a large-animal vet made sense. My oldest daughter is also in to rock and fossil collecting. She has quite a collection that she keeps in her room next to her dinosaur books. Her love for art comes naturally to her. She’s not the best artist in her third-grade class, but she certainly is the most passionate.

Career awareness begins as early as elementary school. The attributes you develop as a child are carried with you into adulthood. So, if you’re searching for your dream job, exploring what interests you now and what’s interested you in the past can help you find the right career path.

Are you a social butterfly? You might be well-suited for a career as a lawyer, teacher, sales rep, receptionist, concierge or restaurant manager.

Do you love the outdoors? You might have a future in landscape architecture, commercial fishing, archeology or forestry.

Are you a protector? What about a career as a police officer, firefighter, security guard or building inspector?

Do you like art? You could be a clothing designer, graphic artist, architect, cartoonist or floral decorator.

Are you good with your hands? You might excel as a machinist, automotive technician, welder, farmer, chef or pianist.

Do you like to help? Consider a career as a personal trainer, nurse, childcare worker, counselor or social worker.

Are numbers your thing? A love of math could open the door to a career as an accountant, engineer, software designer or astronaut.

Did you know early on what you wanted to be when you grew up? Are you still searching for your dream job? What do your kids aspire to be? I’m interested in hearing.

Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

Six Reasons to Tell the Truth on Your Résumé

By sean on Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Your résumé reflects who you are and is an important tool to help you get an interview. How you present your skills and abilities says a lot about you as a person and as a potential employee.

When looking for a job it is important to present yourself in the most accurate light, so it’s imperative that you stick to the truth instead of stretching it – especially when it comes to your résumé.

Obviously lying on your résumé is a bad idea, however many people have no objection to setting their personal and business ethics aside to try and land a job. Providing false and misleading information has become relatively common, with job seekers believing – or perhaps hoping – that employers will not bother checking the details of applicants.

Today’s lies can haunt you the rest of your career, so factual is the way to go. If you elect to exaggerate or misrepresent the facts you are bound to be caught in the act:

• Education. Not every job requires a degree – high school, GED or college – but if you state you have a particular degree you better have earned it. With electronic alumni databases it’s too easy for employers to verify whether you graduated or not.

• Experience. Work accomplishments and job responsibilities are the most common areas where job seekers stretch the truth. Employers can sniff out résumé padding, and your embellishments will lead to your downfall in an interview when you can’t support what you’ve presented on paper.

• Title. It might seem harmless to give yourself a title boost from specialist to manager or from coordinator to director. But, if your responsibilities don’t match up with your title you will have a lot of explaining to do.

• Dates. If you had a lapse in employment, it’s better to have a gap on your résumé than to state you worked at an employer when you did not. Common missteps here include listing inaccurate start or stop dates or listing that you worked somewhere for multiple years (from 2005-2006) when you only worked there in December and January.

• Compensation. You are better served to list your real income on a job application than to give yourself a pay boost. It is better to leave those spots blank or write n/a (not applicable) then to falsify your compensation history.

• Skills. Are you really proficient in Word and Excel or do you only know how to open the file? Ordering office supplies does not equate to managing the department budget. And working in a cubicle with three co-workers does not grant you supervisory or managerial responsibilities. Only list the skills you possess.

All these blunders are easily discovered from a simple reference call to a prior employer. One call and a hiring manager can determine your job title, pay rate, dates of employment, job responsibilities and if you are eligible for rehire.

No matter how bad you want the job, it’s simply not worth it to stretch the truth. Let your talents and experience speak for themselves – without embellishment.

Job Interviews The Job Search

Job Offer: When Can You Start?

By sean on Friday, August 17, 2007

You’ve applied, interviewed and are waiting for the job offer that you hope is coming. Then, the offer is made and you accept it, but even though the interview is over, one more question for you awaits.

“When can you start?”

How you answer that question depends on your current situation.

• No ladder. If you aren’t currently working, tell your new employer you could start tomorrow. If that isn’t possible because of child care or prior plans, ask the manager when they’d like you to start. They might want you to start the next day, or they might prefer to wait until the start of a work week or pay period. Of course, if you want a paycheck as soon as possible, starting tomorrow is your best bet.

• Middle rungs. Giving two weeks’ notice is pretty standard if you are already employed. This provides you with ample time to complete or reassign any current projects. When some people turn in their notice, they are told to immediately clear out their workstations and are shown the door. If you think that might happen, tell your future boss. Explain that you are going to turn in your two week’s notice but mention the possibility that you might be available sooner.

• Top of the ladder. If you are a manager or have an upper-level position, giving three weeks’ notice is a safe bet. Given your position in the company, two weeks might not be long enough to make a clean break. It’s important to never burn bridges with former employers, and this is especially tricky for those in high-level positions.

• Pack up the ladder. If you are relocating to a new city or state, starting in four weeks or a month is reasonable. If your new employer balks at your timeframe, try and work out a financial arrangement where you can start earlier while not being burdened with bills from two residences for an extended period of time. You’ll have the stress of leaving a job, packing up your worldly possessions, finding somewhere to live and moving. Not to mention dealing with packing and unpacking, change of address notification and all the other headaches associated with a move.

What did you do the last time you changed jobs? Did you give your notice in person, electronically or in writing?