Having a mentor who can talk to you about their experience, including both failures and successes, can be a huge benefit to anyone at any stage of their career. But for women, who have to face a variety of roadblocks from the pay gap to inequality in the workplace, a strong team of people to look up to can mean so much more. Here are a few ways you can find great female mentors to help take your career to the next level.
Think Big
Why can’t your mentor be Brene Brown or Michelle Obama? If you admire a contemporary woman who has written about their life, take inspiration from that. You don’t have to personally know someone to get the benefit from their knowledge and wisdom.
Read books by your favorite female leaders from all walks of life to give you insight into their world and how you can improve yours.
Look Outside Your Network
You also may think that the best mentors come from within your own industry or organization. That is a great way to meet someone who can give you advice and help answer your questions, but it isn’t your only option.
Look for other women in your broader community that you admire. They don’t even have to do the same thing you do, but they may have insights on the success that could help you long term.
Be Prepared
When you are ready to meet a woman in your community to talk to about their background and your journey, be prepared. Don’t go into the meeting without having done some soul searching on your own. A mentor isn’t a psychologist, they’re just someone who can give you tips and ideas about how they went about things.
Doing your homework will be important. They can’t do it for you. Be prepared ahead of time and be willing to learn from them, even if they don’t give you the answers you want to hear.
Establish a Relationship
Don’t make the relationship just one-sided and impersonal. A mentor could be giving you advice but think about how you can help their career as well. Get to know your mentor and try to help them out when and however you can as well.
A reciprocal relationship will be more satisfying for both of you. If you’re not sure what you can offer, be a connector and share your mentor with others in your own network. They may have things in common, share business ideas or sales, or possess other complimentary goals.
Work With a Top Staffing Agency in Washington DC
Are you looking for strong female mentors to help you in your career? Contact the team at NRI Staffing, now hiring for jobs in Washington DC, to learn more.
