| Topic Name: |
Mentor vs. Coach vs. Guru |
| Message Name: |
Have confidence in yourself |
| Date Posted: |
04/05/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
My question is about career development, not only for finding a job (RIF'd twice in 6 months), but for keeping a job in a tough telecom market and enhancing my career in the future.
I have only come across one person in my professional career who I considered a mentor. When the company we worked for was sold and our positions eliminated, this person dropped out of corporate life and began an entertainment career. I have been looking for this type of person ever since.
How do you find a person who can advise you on how to best position yourself for a successful career? My first thought would be a career path planning with a good boss, but they are few and far between. I truly don't know what I need - a Mentor, a Job Coach, or some sort of a Guru. Once that is known, how do you find one of them? |
| Message: |
Anytime you're forced to leave an organization involuntarily, your self-esteem takes a hit. You start wondering if you still have "IT." You start to wonder how you can get more of "IT" so that you won't have to go through this again. Well, there's no magic formula, no single silver bullet that will solve your problems.
Start with looking at yourself. Have confidence in yourself and realize you're the same person, talented as ever, that the company hired not so long ago. If anything, you're even more experienced if you kept your eyes open and learned a couple of things in your last job. No, I'm not trying to blow sunshine up your resume, but do understand that all the mentors, coaches, and gurus in the world are worthless if you can't be confident about the skills and abilities you can bring to any position.
Do you like to read? Hey, the local library is cheaper than hiring a career counselor or a "life coach." Find some career or job search books. Take some tests and find out your personality type, what environments get you jazzed, which environments you should stay away from. Get some knowledge and vocabulary to better label and describe what a successful "you" looks like.
Do you like to meet people? Then go out and network. Talk. Ask questions of those whose opinion you value. People don't need a formal title to have valuable career advice. Check out your local SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) office (http://www.score.org/) and see if you can buddy up with one of their members. Or check out the local Chamber of Commerce mixers. Rub elbows with your local captains of industry. Ask them what they've done to be successful. Ask them what three skills are critical for a successful career.
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