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To grow faster, and learn a specific skill it is great to have someone not too much ahead of you to give you some feedback and clarity. It doesn’t really have to be an explicit mentor as long as you have the accountability and regular feedback.

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This is a fun part I found when working with a mentor:

You bring your questions and subconsciously you think you know the answers.

Then they point you in a new direction based on their experience.

These insights are what make mentorship worth the time and effort.

A small nudge from a mentor changes the rules of the game for a mentee

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Definitely. Mentorship can help you learn much faster since you can piggyback off of someone else’s experience

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What does a mentor look in a normal organisation? I tend to feel like a contractor at my roles and don't really get much mentorship from those around me. What can I do to change this for anyone who has felt a similar feeling..

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If you have a dedicated mentor, it usually means you have a 30 min one-on-one meeting with them every 2-4 weeks. You can ask them questions about your career direction or other misc topics.

Aside from that though, you could get mentorship just by collaborating with others that are great engineers as a contractor.

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Mar 20Liked by Ryan Peterman

I agree, and upon reflection, I realize that feeling like a contractor in my roles might stem from the unique opportunity I've had to collaborate extensively with other contractors on projects. This collaboration has allowed me to delve deeply into complex concepts, significantly enhancing my problem-solving abilities. However, I might look into a 1-1 mentor in the future to get to that next level. Thanks!

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This article brilliantly underscores the transformative power of mentorship in career growth, highlighting both explicit and implicit forms. The personal stories shared illuminate the path for anyone looking to accelerate their professional development. It's especially inspiring to see the emphasis on taking initiative in your mentorship journey, whether it's actively seeking out a mentor or absorbing knowledge through collaboration. The distinction between seeking strategic guidance and honing technical skills through different types of mentorship provides a valuable framework for understanding how best to approach learning and growth in the workplace. Truly, the right mentorship can be a game-changer in one's career trajectory.

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