Career
Feb 28, 2023
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🤔 Need a mentor? Read this.

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Mirror neurons in our brain respond to actions we observe in others.

It’s how we learn things like dance moves, riding a bike, and more. Scientists even hypothesize mirror neurons help with our empathy skills.

https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/mirror-neurons-quarter-century-new-light-new-cracks/

But what does that have to do with mentorship?

Well, imagine yourself 5 years from now. Where do you want to be? What will you have achieved?

Your future self is essentially your mentor - someone who can provide a roadmap to where you want to be.

Having a mentor and following what they do (with the help of your mirror neurons) can grow your learning and career much faster.

Keep reading to discover the best mentorship tips for every stage of your career - including what NOT to do.

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Types of mentors to help you succeed

Did you know you can have more than 1 mentor?

Not every mentor is perfect - that’s why you should seek out different mentors to help you in different areas of your life.

Here are some types of mentors to help you succeed:

  1. The Level 49 Player: a mid-level expert who isn’t TOO busy to respond to you
  2. The Evangelist: someone who opens doors and finds opportunities for you
  3. The Co-pilot: someone who gives you feedback on your progress
  4. The Story Teller: someone who can share stories you can learn from to inspire you
  5. The Mentee: you mentoring someone else can lead to learning too

More detailed breakdown of each mentor here: https://www.entrylevel.net/post/5-types-of-mentors-that-helped-me-go-from-intern-to-ceo

But how do I start getting mentorship?

I actually have a great story for this (I guess you can call me “The Story Teller” mentor). It’s about how I started networking and finding mentors even though I’m an introvert!

You can read about my journey here, but I’ve also summarized the key points for you below: https://www.entrylevel.net/post/im-an-alien-according-to-my-classmate

  1. Attend online events: you can send messages in the chat to connect with others
  2. Leave a customized LinkedIn connection note
  3. Create a list of questions to ask someone beforehand
  4. Remember to smile!

Avoid these common mentorship mistakes

Before you send hundreds of LinkedIn connection requests, read this so you know what mistakes to avoid.

  1. Don’t seem TOO desperate
  2. Stop keeping your projects secret - sharing cool things is how you find cool people
  3. Don’t just talk about yourself
  4. Don’t be unprepared - have insightful questions to ask
  5. Don’t ghost - follow up with your mentor every few months!

Full article: https://www.entrylevel.net/post/the-biggest-mistakes-people-make-when-finding-mentors

Where to find mentors

  1. Kernal startup community
  2. Prowess (for Product Managers)
  3. Events (like EntryLevel’s)
  4. ADPList mentorship and events
  5. Niche-specific communities like Newbie Product Management, Product Dojo, All About That Data
  6. Following thought leaders to find resources and opportunities - like EntryLevel, Teneika, and Ayush (today’s newsletter sponsor)

Read more: https://www.entrylevel.net/post/secret-places-to-find-tech-mentors-online-part-1, https://www.entrylevel.net/post/3-secret-places-to-find-tech-mentors-online-part-2

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