Make Your Mentorship One to Remember

Once your mentorship has been established, it’s time to think about two things—making the most out of the current moment, and laying the groundwork for continued contact and support. A quality mentorship is an important part of professional development, and with these tips, yours can be one that lasts a lifetime.

1. Don’t Bite Your Tongue

If you have anything you’ve been wanting to ask but haven’t, now is the time. Whether you want advice on a career issue, are hoping your mentor can put you in contact with someone in their professional network, or just want to extract all the pearls of wisdom you can, fire away (politely) with your questions.

2. Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds You

Your mentor has taken time to be available to you. Don’t take this for granted, and don’t ply them with unreasonable demands or expect them to drop everything to cater to your convenience. Be respectful, humble, and make sure they know that you appreciate the help and advice they have given.

3. Don’t Let the Relationship Bite the Dust

Just because your official NextGen mentorship period is concluding doesn’t mean that your relationship with your mentor has to. Hopefully, the two of you have developed a meaningful connection, but don’t count on them to do the maintenance work required to keep it strong—whether you’re seeing them in person, talking on the phone, or corresponding via e-mail, it’s important to be enthusiastic and to make concrete plans for staying in touch. Undoubtedly the mentorship has already been useful, but you never know when in the future they might be the perfect person to call on for help or advice.

4. Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Once you’ve got several months of meaningful mentorship under your belt, it’s time to rest (briefly) on your laurels. Once you’ve taken this time to reflect on your accomplishment, dive fearlessly into new challenges and opportunities. Armed with advice from your mentor, you can confidently take on new responsibilities, consider new roles, and chart a course for career advancement.