Mentors help guide less experienced people to a greater understanding and masterfulness in a particular subject area. I had a great mentor at Johnson Controls help me understand sales excellence in the early 90’s. A mentor will provide opportunities to understand what to do and when in situations that only their experience and knowledge can support.
More often than not, the mentor will also find the arrangement mutually rewarding through revisiting situations and subjects and giving back to the industry that has allowed them to develop their career.
Mentorship has to be considered as an ongoing process rather than an accomplishment, that has an end in sight. Finding a mentor could be easier than you think, as there may be experienced peers around you.
Just like joining an association as I mentioned in my previous post, initiatives like this can help to improve an industry and help an individual on their career path.
Keith Glasch's Blog 