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THE PEER MENTOR
This is a person that you can identify with because you both share the
same professional level. Not only are they good as a support system, a
peer mentor is also particularly valuable when you’re trying to break
into a new field or job role that they currently work in. As you move
up in your career there’s a good chance your peer mentor will change.
CAREER MENTORS
Having more than one mentor not only ensures that you will cover
all of your bases, it also gives you multiple points of view to pull
from, and it doesn’t put all the mentoring on the shoulders of a single
person. By splitting up mentor responsibilities, the pool of candidates
will increase and you’ll be in a better position to find people who can
help you hit both your short-term and long-term career goals.
THE EDUCATION MENTOR
What do you need to learn, or what type of education do you need to
obtain, to land your ideal job? An educational mentor is one that can
provide guidance on gaining understanding in a subject. Co-workers
that have previously served as professors or teachers are a wonderful
resource, but people that actively participate in seminars, conferences
and job training can be even more helpful.
THE NETWORKING MENTOR
Networking is a part of professionalism that comes naturally to
some and is a source of anxiety for others. You can’t get to where
you want to be professionally on your own. A networking mentor is
a person that’s great at making and cultivating relationships. They’ll
have a huge network of their own that you can tap into, and they’ll
help you build your personal contact list. The social butterfly of
your office that always seems to have a connection is usually a good
candidate for this mentoring role, especially if they are successful in
your industry. However, they should have a good reputation of not
a gossiping, creating drama or taking advantage of the people they
know.
THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE MENTOR
Your job is important, but it should never overshadow your life.
People that can provide guidance on juggling the two are usually
easy to spot. They aren’t workaholics that never leave the office.
They usually have mementos of family and friends at their desk.
They take vacations and have a healthy social life while being a
standout employee. A work-life balance mentor helps you find ways
to prioritize and focus on your occupational ONE Thing in the office
so you don’t take your work home with you.
THE EXPERTISE MENTOR
Do you know someone that has or had the job you want? There’s no
better person to turn to than someone who’s actually done the work
you want to do. An expertise mentor can give insider advice on how
they got to where they are, what to expect when you get there and the
skills you need to master to excel. It’s best to make sure they’re not
someone in direct competition for the job you want or that already
holds the position you’d love to have. Instead, look for someone in
a similar position in another department, or look for someone that’s
held the position in the past who has moved up the ladder.
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Gary Keller is the founder and chairman of the
board for Keller Williams Realty, the world's
largest real estate franchise by agent count.
A finalist for Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of
the Year award, Keller is recognized as one of
the most influential leaders in the real estate
industry, leading his company to 30 consecutive
years of growth and profitability. Keller has
written three nationally best-selling books: The
Millionaire Real Estate Agent, The Millionaire
Real Estate Investor, and SHIFT: How Top Real
Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times.
As a coach and keynote speaker, he has helped
countless others find success narrowing down
their ONE thing. Unsurprising to those who
know him, his greatest achievement is the life
he’s built with wife Mary and their son John.
Before Jay Papasan co-authored the best-
selling Millionaire Real Estate series with Gary
Keller, he worked as an editor at Harper Collins
Publishers. There he worked on such best-
selling books as Body-for-Life by Bill Phillips and
Go for the Goal by Mia Hamm. Jay also co-owns
a successful real estate team affiliated with
Keller Williams Realty with his wife Wendy in
Austin, TX.