The importance of mentorship in our lives cannot be overemphasized. From birth man tends to learn by following the guidance and advice of more experience person.  As a little child, you parents and older siblings and people around you were there to guide and advise you so that you will not make mistake in life. This is exactly the task that is accomplished through mentorship. Mentorship is a mutual relationship that exists between the mentor and mentee in which the mentee learn from the experience of the mentor. The mentor is supposed to guide and advise the mentee based on his or her own experience.

We need mentors both in our academic pursuit and also in our professions/career. There is no student who does not need a mentor, no matter how intelligent the student is. In the same manner, there is no career where mentors are not needed. In other words, there is no stage in life that we can say that we do not need somebody to guide and advise us.

The role of a mentor is similar to that of a coach but there is some subtle difference between the two. Sometimes, they can be used interchangeably by some authors. If you have a mentor it is a great opportunity for you to increase the repertoire of your knowledge and experience. Below are some of the ways through which you can make full use of your mentorship.

Goal Oriented

In order for you to make full use of your mentorship, you need to be goal oriented. Try to set goals for yourself. Remember that you are the driver of your own life. So, you should take the position of the driver. The mentor is only there to guide you. But as for deciding on the next step in your career or education, you have the sole responsibility of doing that. The mentor will guide you when you make a mistake. In other words, do not be inactive during the mentorship. Initiates ideas and let your mentor know and then advise you on how to go about it or what to do in order to achieve your aim. If you are inactive you will not be able to reap the fruit of the mentorship. So, you should always have a goal or target to achieve. The mentor’s part is to guide you towards achieving that goal.

Choosing your Mentor

Getting the best mentor is very important. Though you have the responsibility of charting out your career, but you need a good mentor to direct you and help you achieve your goals. You may have good ideas, but you may be misdirected and guided by a mentor making your ideas not to be materialized. The bottom line is that you need a good mentor in order to actualise your dream or to make a good career. Besides, you are supposed to learn from the experience of your mentor. If your mentor has little or no experience you will not be able to learn anything from him. Base on the above, choosing a good mentor is the basic stepping stone to achieving your goals.