Navigate your journey with a mentor

RightBrains spoke to Jacinta Hall, professional coach and RightBrains ambassador, to find out how you can find your perfect (mentor!) match.

A mentor helps you to dream bigger

A mentor is someone who inspires and motivates you to achieve your goals. They help you navigate the digital world and get out of your comfort zone.

“Even if you make mistakes, they are there to help you find solutions. They can pull you up!”

It is a special relationship between two people where you can ask questions, share ideas and not feel intimidated. A mentor helps you to take a step back to rethink and rework an idea you have and they add valuable experience to the mix.

A mentor-mentee relationship requires a transparent relationship

“It is a huge responsibility to be a mentor and a mentee! It takes commitment from both parties; be honest about your expectations and intentions, talk about schedules and results, but also be realistic.”

“Both should agree on the vision at hand and work together towards this shared goal. Be mindful of each other's time. Speak up if something is bothering you, but also be open to constructive criticism.”

Everybody can be a mentor

Mentoring does not depend on age or experience, you just have to want to help others. A mentor doesn't have to be from your specific job sector.

“We need different mentors for different aspects of your life. You can be a soundboard for a peer’s ideas, or you can give a pep talk when needed. You can show the new intern the ropes.”

“As a mentor, you gain valuable knowledge and experience. You learn how different people think and how to manage different personalities. There is always more to learn; new or smarter techniques, design thinking, new technologies etc.”

Follow your intuition to find the right match

“A good listener, someone who will be honest even if it is not an easy topic. A person who can handle stressful situations and conflicts. And someone who is still working on their skills and knows their own imperfections. We are all only human. Follow your gut feeling, both mentee and mentor will know if it is a good fit or not.”

How to find your mentor on the RightBrains platform

Hundreds of women have signed up on the RightBrains’ career and mentorship platform. Women from diverse backgrounds, with different digital knowledge and years of experience.

Finding the right mentor starts with networking, inviting an interesting female professional to connect with you and getting to know them. Once you’ve built a relationship with someone, you can ask them to be your mentor.

Tips for finding the right mentor

1. Make a shortlist of what you would want to learn from a mentor.
2. List your goals and expectations. Make it measurable and use a timeline.
3. Do your research through the Find and Connect filters on the platform. And find people who you find interesting to know.
4. Connect to role models who you think can add value to your career.
5. Set up as many personal (virtual) dates as needed to find your perfect (mentor) match! But always be mindful of others’ time and schedules.
6. Add value to your mentor’s career or life - just a quick good luck text before an important meeting goes a long way.

Join RightBrains’ career and mentorship platform to meet hundreds of like-minded women in the digital technology field! Let us know if you have made your match!

Jacinta Hall is a professional coach at Betty Jo and an information analyst/scrum master and trainer at ICTHALL. Meet her!