Mentorship: 20 Reasons Why it is Important for a Mentee and Mentor

Think back to your childhood. Do you remember a time when someone truly believed in you?

Whether a friend, family member or teacher, having a personal champion is incredibly underrated in the workplace.

Mentorship is a great way to learn more about yourself and invest time into your career development. You’ll also gain self confidence and develop a better understanding of the industry you’re hoping to pursue.

Many companies adopt mentorship programmes in the workplace, which involve assigning a dedicated person to an employee for support.

A mentor is an assigned person of expertise in an organisation that offers guidance and help.

It doesn’t matter if you’re well advanced in your career or starting out – a mentor can provide an opportunity for self-reflection, giving you an alternative perspective.

Our mentoring programme has been carefully designed to pair you with someone who is best suited to your skill set and direction.

If you’re new to this, you might be wondering what the benefits are for both a mentee and a mentor.

Let’s explain more.

Having someone to talk to for guidance who is more senior to you is a great way to learn and grow. Chances are, they have experienced a handful of significant moments in their career and can offer great advice to you.

Whether you want to ask for a pay rise or move into a higher role, you will be able to ask questions about their journey and learn from an expert in the field.

Although confidence cannot be taught, working with someone to improve how you look at certain situations will improve your outlook.

From interview techniques to knowledge and tips, you will be able to better understand the sector, improving your self-confidence in the process.

Learning to communicate is another benefit of mentorship, as it will prepare you with skills for the workplace.

The technology sector is a challenging field to navigate and, if you have little to no experience or skills, it can be intimidating knowing where to start.

Don’t worry – you’re certainly not alone.

Working with an experienced professional will allow you to ask key questions about their career and how they got started.

For example, if you are seeking a role as a Software Developer, you will be able to ask them how they got their first role in tech and the type of software they are comfortable using.

This type of insight is unparalleled, as you can gain key knowledge without having to pay an extortionate fee.

Whether you’re worried about career stability or networking, the best benefit of mentorship is the support you can access.

It doesn’t have to involve meeting up every week, sometimes a call once a month is enough to provide adequate support, giving you the confidence to seek the next challenge.

Much like a friend or family member, a mentor will be able to provide help during tricky times, such as when you’ve submitted a job application or you’re waiting to hear back.

Gaining connections in the tech industry is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your community.

Developing a strong rapport with a mentor will also allow a mentee to gain insight into their network. If you’re lucky, you may even gain an employer’s contact!

Two minds are better than one, especially in the technology sector.

It could be that you’re struggling with interviews or want to know how to network, a mentor will be able to provide guidance.

Think of it as a personal mascot - a mentor will encourage you to perform your best and challenge areas of thinking.

If you’re looking to move to the next stage in your career, mentorship provides an opportunity for honest feedback.

Since a mentor is often more advanced in their career, this is something that a friend or loved one cannot provide.

Trust is a key element of mentorship.

A mentor has your best interests at heart and will focus on providing honest guidance that will help you in your career.

Sometimes it’s easier to convey your thoughts to someone who is not in your close circle, which is why a mentor is such a great resource.

Our mentorship programme is a free resource that anyone in the tech space can use.

Since there are no extra profits or fees involved, anyone that signs up is participating out of their own passion to help someone else.

Despite often juggling many other commitments, our mentors provide support to someone else in their career without any expectation of receiving anything in return.

A mentor can help to set effective short-term and long-term goals. For example, the SMART goals technique can be used – specific, achievable, relevant, and time-based.

This can further provide a sense of accountability in terms of achieving these actions.

The best way to improve your communication and interpersonal skills is to mentor someone.

You will be able to practice listening skills, empathy, and leadership – all key traits of a great mentor.

This will allow you to see an outside perspective and gain a comprehensive knowledge of the types of issues, concerns, and thoughts of someone just starting out in the industry. In turn, this will develop your ability to work in a team better.

These days, standing out on your CV is essential. No matter whom you are mentoring, you can include mentorship experience to enhance your CV.

This demonstrates key leadership skills, problem-solving and communication. It also tells an employer that you can be trusted and relied on.

Technology is constantly changing and evolving. Pairing with someone who is at an earlier stage than you may allow you to refresh your knowledge.

Even if you are at the most senior level in a company, mentoring will help you learn more about the sector.

For example, if your mentee came into tech from an alternative background, such as recruitment, it would help you understand the transferrable skills needed to break into a tech career.

If your mentee achieves their goal, i.e., securing a role in a technology consultancy, it demonstrates your value.

This further validates your level of expertise and experience, helping you to become recognised as a trusted mentor.

Communication skills is a trait that is highly valued in the workplace, as it gives an employer confidence that you can fit well into any team.

Whether listening, asking thoughtful questions, or practising patience, mentorship teaches many key skills.

Being a mentor is a responsible role, as you will act as a role model to the mentee.

As a result, you will gain key leadership skills, which is always a great feature to add to your CV.

Aside from the initial benefits, mentorship is a great way to give back to the community and help someone. All it takes is for one person to believe in them.

Knowing you’ve had a positive effect on someone’s career journey is an incredibly empowering feeling.

If you’re looking to become a well-respected leader in the tech sector, then signing up for mentorship is a great way to gain a reputation.

People will begin to turn to you for help instead your competitors, further improving awareness of your brand.

Much like a mentee will gain great connections from a mentor, a mentor will also benefit from connections.

A mentee may be able to offer you some great contacts to help build your network. There are a range of mentorship events that allow you to meet potential mentees and mentors.

Building valuable connections is one great way to get your name known in the tech industry.

It’s easy to fall into a narrow perspective when it comes to careers.

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, it’s useful to hear alternative perspectives from time to time.

It could be that you work in HR and you’re used to working in the office five days a week, whereas someone starting out may prefer remote working. These types of conversations help to keep perspective fresh.

Mentorship is a great way to join a community of tech lovers and feel a sense of belonging.

Whether you’d like to become a mentor or gain a mentor, we’ll support you to find the perfect match.

Sign up today to find out more.