I have tried to be a mentor to potential advertising and marketing communication candidates throughout the years.
Why? I believe it is important to try and give back to this community in any way that I can.
I have benefited greatly from being involved in the advertising and marketing communications community and this is something that I can easily offer - to help others.
This past Thursday night I was at the University of Minnesota 2010 Mentor Appreciation Dinner along with many other mentors and their mentees. What a great chance to connect with others and understand why they enjoy mentoring. Time and time again it comes back to people having a desire to help prospective candidates get a head start in their careers.
What if each and everyone us would take the time to help others get a head start in their careers. The power of this is enormous and the benefit is oh so great.
Whether it is helping someone you know at work, helping a recent college graduate or even networking with a peer who is looking for a new opportunity - I believe it is very important to help others out.
So the next time that someone calls you and is looking for some advice - take a minute and try and help.
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Mark -
ReplyDeleteGood post. I was actually discussing mentorship with a fellow ad/marketing mind today, so your timing was coincidental to say the least.
I agree that helping out a friend, co-worker or a mentee is a very important thing to do. It's important to recognize that most of us wouldn't be in the shoes we are currently in if it wasn't for the help/guidance/mentorship of someone else...
I try to give back and help others out as often as possible. I've connected friends to contacts I've made in the ad/marketing world, and I've tried to be a mentor to young hockey officials in my community as I've been a referee for quite some time now.
I think where most people get hung up though is the thought that a mentor needs to be someone older than the mentee; or that there are certain age or experience requirements for someone to be an effective mentor... I completely disagree with this. Mentorship comes down to respect, and having the ability to share the knowledge you have with someone who is both:
a) willing and eager to learn from you, and
b) willing and eager to give respect for the person mentoring them
Who says you have to be an "expert" in a certain field to mentor someone? Do you need to be a 30-year veteran of the advertising world to mentor a college student and soon-to-be aspiring copywriter or designer... Do you need to have played in the NHL to teach someone how to play hockey?
Thanks for letting me rant, hope all is well!
-Brad Wellman