Girl Starts Marketing Career |
A 25 year old college student begins her career in marketing. This blog is the personal documentary of all the things she realizes along the way. * My employer's names are kept confidential * |
It was hard for me to believe my former professor when she told me that people love to mentor. That’s because in my mind, I wondered why someone would want to do extra work in advising me when they likely have enough going on themselves. I didn’t want to feel needy, or anticipate too much from someone. Wanna know a secret? People love to be admired! The best way to have someone donate their time to your development is to express a genuine admiration for their work. Don’t base your decision to ask them for advice soley on the position they hold or their status. That’s too obvious. Once you’ve targeted someone whose work (not accomplishments) you admire, there are some tips to get them to care about your development: 1. Don’t begin the conversation by asking them to mentor you. That is arrogant and their time is too precious. Instead, start out by genuinely becoming friendly with them. If the conversation goes well, introduce yourself and shake hands. The next time you see them say hello and address them by name. 2. Plan out your next conversation with them in your mind beforehand. Find out about specific projects they’ve done that you admire. This is how people network. The best networkers plan ahead of time. Here are some things you may want to remember:
1. Show admiration for their work. Everyone likes to be admired!
2. Express your career aspirations. People are more likely to care about people who care!
3. Take your time. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
