How to find the right mentor to excel in your career.



How to find the right mentor to excel in your career.


On Friday, April 12, 2019, I had the opportunity to attend The Women + Media Career Summit at The New York Stock Exchange.
While I was very excited to be a part of this conference for its topic on women empowerment I was thrilled to visit the New York Stock Exchange for the first time to attend this conference. I was honored to be a part of the conversation “Take Charge of Your Future” and felt empowered to be a part of discussions by other successful women leaders in the industry.

Though all the sessions were inspiring what kept me thinking was the discussion about the importance of mentorship in order to excel in your career.

Mentorship is to guide other employees more about their fields. A mentor can be anyone a colleague or a friend who helps you to reach your goals.  Mentors are an advisor and can be reached out for any help or guidance. They will help you to build and follow your plans and goals. Mentorship can take place at any given point. It is very important to be a part of an organization where employees are ready to help each other and advice each other.

During the discussion about mentorship, Betty Liu, Executive Vice Chairman, NYSE Group said the challenge is to develop the best relationship with your mentor who can help you to perform better. At an organization, one needs to guide each other and be a mentor of each other. Authenticity is also the key and helps to get good mentors. Mentorship starts with authenticity.
During one of her standalone session, Kameka Dempsey, Founder of KD Leadership Strategies, gave an example of a mentor by quoting an incident from her personal life.
She mentioned that once her fellow colleague turned out to be mentor unexpectedly because gave her small advice which she would have otherwise ignored. This advice has helped her improve her training sessions in the future.
Megan Clarken, Chief commercial officer, Nielsen Global Media said that it is sometimes difficult to find a mentor depending on your personality especially if you are introvert and don't like to reach out to others. For an introvert,  it is important to find one person who can be your mentor and you see a friend in that mentor. Therefore, one needs to find a relationship that can mentor you. Even a friend can be a mentor. Value relationships. Egos are poisonous. People need to be self-starters and they need to get the job done.
She also mentioned that “To be a power women need to empower other women.”
The panel also discussed that it is easier to hire but difficult to fire. Companies have to manage quality. Today, companies are facing a lot of challenges because they are finding it difficult to manage a quality workforce. Through proper mentorship programs company’s will be able to create a cohesive work environment which will help them retain a quality workforce
You are your best advocate. One needs to be one own brand ambassador. Agility is the key, It is also important to be open and listen to your gut. It is not necessary to have all the answers.

There is room for everyone in the corporate world because every personality is different and you have to bring your best self. One has to be nice because there is no room for bad behavior.


Kameka Dempsey, Founder of KD Leadership Strategies suggested writing about your small wins so that you remember it well. Also, continue your relationship with the people you have met during your networking sessions.
She further said “Always stay relevant. Follow up with people and learn to say no.”
I believe that mentors can be anyone who would criticize your work and help to excel in your own field. Throughout my course at Branding and integrated communications, I have had the opportunity to get good mentors as my professors and classmates.
While mentors are important it is also important to maintain your relationships with a mentor which will help to get you good sponsorships. A sponsor is a one who will fight for your case in order to get your promoted and get more opportunities for you. So in order to get a good sponsor, the right job starts with getting a good mentor who will help you to perform better and reach your goals.
Overall, the Center for Communication provided me a  gave me a great opportunity to interact and meet with the dynamic women professionals in the industry. This session inspired me and learned a lot about the next steps to be successful in my career specifically as a woman.

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