Mentoring

I have a mentor who says that he only needs to figure out one thing during an interview:  Is the person a giver or a taker?  It amazes me that very few of my students say they have ever been mentored.  I contend mentoring goes both ways, and I believe the relationship has to be initiated by the mentee.  That is, a mentor has to be selected based on the mentee’s perceived fit.  But I also believe that if you have more career years behind you than in front of you, and you aren’t mentoring, you have to ask why you’re not more approachable.  I had the good fortune of climbing a Colorado 14er with my mentee from the University of Colorado Denver Boots to Suits program.  I suspect he thinks he’s gained more than me from the relationship, but I can assure you, the relationship is so reciprocal, I often feel I am taking more than giving.  Creating and building a successful career is more daunting than ever.  You’ve learned a lot in your career, so think about giving back.  I can assure you, you’ll learn that you still have much more to learn!