CAREER CHANGE HELP IS HERE:
19 PUBLICATIONS SUPPORT USING A MENTOR

START YOUR WAY TO A NEW CAREER

A Mentor Can Zip Open the Haze To Allow You To See The Bright Sky

• The first question that comes up is “Do experts really recommend using a mentor to provide the background and understanding needed to be successful in your change of career?"


• The second question could be  “Where can you go to locate suggestions on finding a mentor and learning what questions to ask?”
  

To help you find the answers to these questions, we put together a list of resources for you to examine.  Each resource discusses whether you should use a mentor during the transition process.  Some include suggestions for locating a mentor and subjects to discuss.

They could also provide you with ideas on how to go about finding a mentor and, in some cases, what subjects to discuss along with questions.

It is important to note that some of these sources of these articles are from well-known publications.  These include Forbes, Harvard Business review, the Guardian, US News & World Report and others.  Some of the resources are short while others are more comprehensive.

Of course, the most direct approach is to use Career Redo to locate a mentor in your career field.  Then engage them to give you advice on what a person encounters in that career.  You can ask specific questions that could give your a more precise feel for all that is involved.  Get advice on career change.  Our Mentors are motivated and ready to help you succeed.

RESOURCES: DO EXPERTS RECOMMEND MENTORS FOR CAREER CHANGE HELP?

Start That New Career The Right Way

So…. here is our list of resources.  We hope you don’t mind that we placed our site first.  The balance of the list is in no particular order.

1. Top Career Change Ideas For Success - Get New Career Ideas

• Presented by:  Career Redo staff
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Provides ideas on understanding yourself and your goals. It gives a listing of career categories. Each category leads to mentors that can assist in your career transition.

2.  How to Find a Career Change Mentor

• Presented by:  Christine Bernier Lienke, Senior Researcher and Writer at FlexJobs
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Provides five tips to finding a career change mentor.  Key elements are to find those in the field in which you want to work.  Search LinkedIn.  Connect with an entrepreneur.  Match your mentor to your goals. Talk with mentors in more than one career for additional career change help.
  

3.  40 Questions To Ask A Mentor

• Presented by: by Jo Miller, Contributor at Forbes.com
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Excellent article.  Jo Miller organized her discussion around the four (4) types of questions that you should ask your mentor.  They are 1) Stories, 2) Situations, 3) Self-Awareness, 4) Skill-Building.  These apply whether you are changing jobs within the same profession or not.
  

4. How to Find a Mentor for Career Success

• Presented by Hallie Crawford, Contributor at USNews.com           
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Provides steps to find and work with a mentor.  Analyze your career needs.  Find candidates in university alumni, social groups or other sources.

5. Find the Right Mentor During a Career Transition

• Presented by: Priscilla Claman, President of Career Strategies Inc. and Contributor at HBR.org                       
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Suggests that you look for industry and professional focused mentors. Join industry and professionals associations.  Search for senior mentors.  The ideas is to broaden your view.  She contributed to the HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need.
  

use mentors for career change help part 2

Direction and Understanding From Your Mentor

6. Why Career Changes Need a Mentor (and How to Find One)

• Presented by:  Kerry Hannon, Publisher at KerryHannon.com                        
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Provides steps on finding a mentor.  Mentors matter.  You need someone in your corner.  This is especially true for those over 50.  Kerry Hannon provided details in her book Great Jobs For Everyone 50+.

7. The 3 Career Mentors Everyone Should Have

• Presented by: Elle (Noelle) Roth, Contributor at themuse.com
  
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Her view is to look for short-term, medium-term and long-term mentors.

8. This Is The Key To Finding A Mentor At Every Stage Of Your Career

• Presented by: Ken Blanchard and Claire Diaz-Ortiz, Contributors at fastcompany.com
  
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Discusses two key items to consider when looking for a mentor.  Examines what actions you should take at different levels of your career.  Blanchard and Diaz-Ortiz are co-authors of the book One Minute Mentoring.
  

9. Finding a mentor - Idealist Careers

• Presented by:  Alexis Perrotta, Editor & Writer  at idealistcareers.org
  
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Examines what do you need, what should you look for in a mentor, and your relationship.  This is good career change help.
  

10. 8 Successful People Share How Not To Find A Mentor

• Presented by: Amy Elisa Jackson, Contributor at Levo.com
  
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• States that finding someone to help you navigate your career path is crucial to success.   Provides suggestions to avoid problems as career change help.  Biggest takeaway for me was #7 on their list… “Don’t ask for the roadmap…ask for advice on how to navigate”.

USE MENTORS FOR CAREER CHANGE HELP PART 3

Your Mentor Can Direct You Up The Path of Success

11.  How to Find a Career Mentor

• Presented by Alison Doyle,, Contributor at thebalancecareers.com                                      
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• She provides several tips to find your mentor.  One key item was to research the new career field and find those who seem knowledgeable.

12.  How a Mentor Can Help You Change Industries

• Presented By Eilene Zimmerman,  Career columnist for the New York Times, Contributor at ivyexec.com
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Moving through the daunting process of changing industries can be aided by the help of a mentor.  They have a broad knowledge of the industry. They can help with professional associations, recruiting firms and consultancies. Look for consultants and vendors in the industry as career change help.

13.  The 10-Step Plan to Career Change

• Presented by Staff Writer at Livecareer.com
  
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Research, research. research.  Find a mentor to help get you started and help you through the rough patches. Their network may be valuable to gain leads.

14.  Get Ahead With A Mentor - 6 Tips To Sniffing Out A Good Mentor

• Presented by:  Staff at seek.com
  
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• To find the right mentor you need to understand your own personality. No mention of using a mentor for career change. But it does provide tips for any mentor, such as looking for someone who has achieved goals like yours.

15.  Finding A Mentor Is Easier Than You Think

• Presented by: Lisa Quast, Career coach and Contributor at Forbes.com
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• One of the key item she mentions is to be clear about what you want.   She even identifies five great resources to help you identify various options for you to find a mentor.   She has written a book Your Career, Your Way: Personal Strategies to Achieve Your Career Aspirations.
  

USE MENTORS FOR CAREER CHANGE HELP PART 4

Understand What Is Happening In Your New Career Field

16.  How To Build Your Mentor Cabinet: 4 Tactics

• Presented by:  Diana Rau, Contributor at Forbes.com
  
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• Short article with an interesting take.  She suggests that you build a cabinet of mentors for career change help.  Part of this cabinet includes determining what do you want to become. Then find mentors that are masters of that skill or attitude.

17.  Ten Signs It’s Time For A Career Change - How Many Of These Apply To You?

• Presented by Rosie Allabarton, Contributor at CareerFoundry.com
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• There is a good bid of discussion on whether it is time for a career change.  Then he makes a point in defining how to make the change by finding a mentor.  His key point is that you can learn from mistakes of others like your mentor.

18. How To Find A Professional Mentor

• Presented by Zoe Amar, Director of Marketing at the guardian.com                                         
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• This is another short article but brings up the point of considering why you want a mentor.   It addresses how you should map out your career goals.

19.  3 Ways To Find The Ideal Mentor For Your Career Transition

• Presented by: Hallie Crawford, Contributor at USNews.com                         
• Recommends Mentor:  Yes
• She focuses on finding a mentor who shares a similar career vision. The next step is to choose a mentor who shares your same values.  Determine how much time you want/need to spend with your mentor. Without those elements you may drift and not reach your goal..

SUMMARY - Time to FOCUS

Focus, Learn and Succeed

Photo courtesy of Stefan Cosma

So, what do all the comments tell us?  Using a mentor to help you through the transition to a new career is the smart thing to do.  It is recommended by many career change specialists.

We hope you will give us a try to get career change help from your Mentor.