Mentors: Your Compass at Work

How do you address a Congressman during an interview? What's the best way to create a media list? Who do you go to when you quickly need a quote from a top official at the Pentagon? These are all questions that a standard textbook couldn't adequately answer. Where do you find these answers? With the people you trust most: Your mentors.

This is my third internship within the past year, and I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of my mentors. When I read the article "PR Tactics and the Strategist Online" by Debra Miller on PRSA's website, Miller's thoughts about mentoring really hit home with me. A mentor is someone that not only supports you during the growth process, but also pushes you to exceed your own expectations. He or she can be jubilant for your successes and offer words of encouragement during your failures. Its a person that can be critical of a paper yet willing to shoot pool with you. Having a person that can be both your best friend and your worst nightmare is the greatest kind of mentor to have during your career.

Where do you find your mentors? Most of the time, you have to seek them out. Try to find someone that you can have fun with, yet isn't nice to you all the time. Make sure the individual is older and has a lot of experience in the career you've chosen, because you're going to need good answers to some very confusing situations. And lastly, make sure you can trust the person. If you feel that he or she isn't trustworthy, stay clear of them. They're the last kind of people you want to work with while you're trying to figure out your career path.