In our PART2 version of how university students could get guidance from industry experts, we explored how can these students maintain their relationships with industry experts. We saw that by learning a skill together, pursuing activities together and co-reflecting, students can continue to receiving guidance from the experts which will further shape their career. We also saw the examples of Steve Jobs mentoring Mark Zuckerberg and inferred that students should not end seeking micro-mentoring in a definitive time frame or at the end of a particular goal. In this case, it should not end once the student receives a job offer. It should be a continuous process. Therefore, in today's blog, we explore how a student can continue seeking guidance from these micro-mentors.
To understand the importance of sustained relationships and its link to growth, we explore examples of some famous mentor-mentee relationships.
1. Alan Rickman and Mathew Lewis: Rickman, who was famous for portraying the character of Severus Snape mentored Mathew Lewis for his part in the franchise. Even to this day, Mathew is quoted saying "He inspired my career more than he ever knew".
2. Socrates and Plato / Plato and Aristotle / Aristotle and Alexander the Great: These three generations of philosophers and then a famous king and a conquerer have been known to pass on the knowledge of Greek rationalism to the society. They have each carried the legacy with them.
3. Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffet: The Berkshire Hathaway CEO has high regard for his mentor and follows the principles of his book the intelligent investor even now. This is yet another example of a lasting mentoring relationship.
The reason for mentioning these examples is their relatability. All these mentees were students or similar to them. They were mentored by an industry expert with whom they established the relationship, maintained it and made it lasting. But the ultimate question which comes up and which was partially addressed in our previous blogs of the series is how to make these lasting and therefore, how can the students continue benefiting from the industry? We feel the following steps can help:
1. Carry forward the legacy: Usually, when a micro-mentor seeks a mentee in a student, they do that on the basis of communicating mutual relationship. Sometimes the micro-mentor seeks a successor in their mentee. The mentee should understand it and continue the mentor's legacy. For example, if a mentor is in charge of a project or society and the mentee has similar interests, they should continue carrying forward the legacy to have a lasting relationship with their micro-mentor.
2. Develop a friendship: While mentees & mentors meet to fulfill a professional purpose which is objective and tailored towards symbiotic growth for both sides, it is also an opportunity for both sides to expand their social circle and make new friends who can root & make connections for each other. Professional growth & empathetic connection is never a bad thing, right?
3. Become mutually beneficial: The very essence of Micromentoring is to make it symbiotic. Only receiving from the mentor and not giving anything in return is ungrateful. Therefore, a mentee should consider helping the mentor in the time of their need. This can make the relationship sustainable. At Headstrt, we believe in providing a thorough feedback to both sides as well as in compensating top mentors for their time & inputs.
4. Continue skill development: Despite the fact that a student/mentee may have achieved their career goals with the help of the mentor, they should never stop gathering more Insights/Intel from each other. Skill development could be continued and also the quest for new common growth opportunities. This will drive a constructive relationship as you never too old to share & discover Insights and wisdom.
5. Stay connected, via platforms like Headstrt: Students can sometimes find micro-mentors in a different part of the world. It might appear challenging to stay connected with them to establish all the above-mentioned goals and develop a lasting relationship. This is where Headstrt can help you. As we democratise expert economy, we provide you a medium to stay connected to the people who can shape your lives and make you grow. Arranging sessions with your micro-mentor using the platform can become easy and you can continue having a steep learning curve.
Finding a mentor can be an arduous task especially if you are a student with limited access to the industry and the network. As mentioned in the PART1 of this blog series, oftentimes, universities lack the effort to provide you with the required resources. This can make you feel extremely disappointed and dejected. It is in the situation that you need to seek external industry guidance and look for experts.
We understood that long back and we were emotionally and intellectually compelled to create an Expert Economy Platform, where you can share & discover novel Insights with everyone. Headstrt is a pan-industry, pan-function, pan-topic social network for Insights, where we user Artificial Intelligence to help people discover novel Insights. We encourage you to try our platform today by booking many sessions for free! We would love to hear from you and can't wait to have you join our community and see you excel in personal, social & professional aspects of life.
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