What we achieve in our life is not only the result of our hard work and effort, but is also strongly supported by the motivation, guidance and support of our friends and family. But what would happen if we also got encouraged, moulded and supported by someone from our industry, someone that is working in the field that we want to approach and has the experience and connections that we need to get started? The results may surprise you.
When I joined Chiasma Connect last year, I had no experience with a mentorship programme and I did not know what to expect. I knew what I wanted to do, but I needed someone I could trust, who was willing to help me and answer even my “stupid” questions. My mentor not only did that, but so much more! She became someone I look up to, an adviser and even a friend. Due to her busy schedule we set up Skype calls every fortnight and as we talked following the programme, I discovered very useful information about my field. This helped me with networking, possible jobs and internships, and the opportunities I had for my future, including some points I had not considered before. Even after the programme ended, we still keep in touch and I feel that she is there if I need advice or just to catch up.
This experience is not just mine, other reasons why you should consider having a mentor are:
1. They have a broader vision of the field you want to be successful in. They have lived similar challenges to the ones you are going to face in your career and know the process, policies and the impact of the decisions you could make.
2. They have more knowledge than you. Not only from the professional perspective, but a mentor is someone more experienced in life, and it is usually someone that has gone through a journey of success and failure, which is what motivates them to inspire and guide mentees.
3. They have more connections than you. By being part of the industry that you want to explore, meeting them and their connections could open doors that otherwise would be closed to you at the starting point of your career.
4. They are a living example of passion for what they do, and can help you focus and guide you in what you need, minimizing the possibility of big failures.
5. Finally, a mentor motivates you and fights with you for your success, they are passionate about encouraging new talents and they not only can become one of your biggest cheerleaders, but you can also find a lifelong friend and guide in them.
The list could go on and on, but if you want to experience first-hand the awesome journey that I went through, the invitation to join Chiasma Connect is open and waiting for you!
Apply for the 2017 Chiasma Connect Mentorship programme at http://home/runcloud/webapps/chiasma.chiasma.org.nz/events/2017/3/6/chaisma-connect-2017-applications by the 31st of March