Cut Your Federal Learning Curve in Half

A great way to get ahead and a smart way is to get a mentor. A mentor cuts your learning curve. They’ve already been through what you are going through. But finding a mentor requires you to take the initiative.

When I started out as a letter carrier, don’t get me wrong, I loved my job, but I knew that I wanted to do something else in the Postal Service. So I began seeking out mentors. I began to ask my superiors how they were able to get promoted to their current position. So I simply began talking to different people and asking them about their journey and by doing this, I in effect became endeared to them and they wanted to help me.

Tell them what your passion is, what your challenges are and ask them to help you. As people see the initiative you are taking, they will begin reaching out to help you.

Late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said, “If you treat people as if they are hurting, you will be treating most of the world.” That is true. Most of us want to be recognized and acknowledged. When we spend time with people and ask them about their lives we are doing a great service to them.

A really good book on mentoring is, Power Mentoring: How Successful Mentors and Proteges Get the Most Out of Their Relationships by Susan Murphy. In this book, mentor and their protégés are interviewed and you see that successful people rarely succeed alone. A great read.

Find out more ways to close the federal skills gap and land your dream job at: www.careersavvyfed.com