Looking For a Job: Rely on Mentor Relationships

Mentors are very good people to have around in a job hunt. While this book is not the place to discuss all the in sand outs of the extremely complex subject of mentoring, it is certainly appropriate to address some of the issues you're likely to come across in the early levels of a professional job search.

What is a mentor?

A mentor is

• Interested in your career.
  
  
• Willing and eager   to freely give you advice and help perhaps in your initial job search, but also as your career develops. Not necessarily your boss.
  
  
• Someone who likes you as a person, and also sees your potential as a professional in the field.
  
  
• Usually able to help guide you through potentially troublesome organizational and hierarchical areas that you might not navigate as successfully on your own.
  
  
• Someone who can provide you with access to important people and help make your successes more visible.
  
  
• Associated with your efforts on the job in other people's eyes.
  
  
• Usually a senior member of the staff or organization.
  
  
• Often a veteran with considerable experience in a given field.
  

While the seeds of a mentor relationship may very well be planted at this stage in your job search, it is virtually impossible to "establish" such a relationship in one meeting. Mentor relationships are sensitive to such factors as personal goals (both yours and your mentor's), the "corporate culture" of the firm, and personal chemistry. The advice at this stage is not to try to "catch" a mentor, but rather to be on the lookout for one. What you're really hoping to "catch" is the elusive setting that may eventually evolve into a mentor relationship.

One good signal in that regard would be locating a professional with whom you can openly and comfortably discuss your career strategy, and from whom you can accept constructive criticism. Of course, it helps to have someone who fills such a role in any endeavor, and it is certainly no exception. If a close friend or industry contact is help to you in mapping out your goals and methods, don't stop sharing things simply because he or she isn't a potential mentor!

Asking Questions

As mentioned above, it's an excellent idea to be well prepared for any kind of interview. That includes not only thorough research, but also having a good idea of the kinds of questions you'll ask.

Begin by asking your interviewer about his or her background. Most people, even if they're outwardly modest, enjoy relating their career histories. Your interest in how your interviewer spent those first few years in the industry is a sign of respect.

Many people will have fascinating stories to tell. Note any relevant anecdotes (once you've made sure that your interviewer doesn't mind your jotting a few things down during the course of your meeting). Such stories can be drawn upon and related at later stages of your job hunt.

Next, ask questions about the working environment.

What are the hours like? What are the people like? What sort of training or work background is usually required? What do people earn? (You may want to hold off on that last one until you're absolutely positive that the interviewer understands that you aren't looking for a job at this stage. It's a question that can be misread and can do unpleasant things to the "feel" of your conversation.)

If these questions seem to be producing a good rapport between the two of you, you'll probably want to continue along the same lines, entering into more specific areas. What does the interviewer like best (and least) about what he or she does during the day? That kind of skills are considered essential to his or her job? What are his or her career goals? Are there any landmark career choices your interviewer made years ago that might be decided differently now? Is there a cycle to hiring in the industry? What is the best strategy for approaching people? As a rule, should you start at the top when you contact someone, or should you begin at the department level? How long should a typical new employee expect to stay at one level? Is advancement best gained by staying with one company or by "hopping around"? Is there an advantage to starting at a small, growing firm, rather than a larger, better known one?

In short, ask questions that can help you determine whether or not you're headed in the right direction. Ask questions that can identify what is important in the industry. Once you determine what's important, you can tailor your background to the needs of an interviewer in a discussion about an actual opening.

Above all, keep the conversation comfortable, relaxed, and easygoing. If you pay no attention to what your interviewer is saying (or isn't saying), and simply rattle away, checking off one question at a time, you are wasting the time of two very important people; the interviewer and yourself.

Make careful note of the answers you receive. Make every effort to be extremely considerate of your interviewer's time.

Once you've done all this, of course, you'll be ready to ask the big question, the one that will allow you to have a more promising job search at the end of the interview than you had at the beginning.