Mentors Give Future Execs An Inside Track
By Kevin Smith Staff Writer© Pasadena Star-News, June 18, 2006
In the world of business, there's nothing like having an inside track.
And in many cases, that advantage comes in the form of a mentor - someone who knows the ropes at your workplace and can help you make sound decisions while avoiding the pitfalls.
However, 58 percent of chief financial officers polled in a recent survey by Accountemps said they never had a mentor, either formally or informally.
Among executives who worked with mentors during their careers, more than a third (35 percent) said the single greatest benefit was having a confidant and adviser.
"While talent and dedication are sometimes all that are required to advance professionally, having a mentor can help pave the way to career success," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of "Managing Your Career For Dummies."
"The benefits of having a mentor shouldn't be underestimated, particularly for those who are just starting their careers."
An experienced adviser, Messmer said, can provide insight into office protocol and how to handle sensitive situations - "areas that aren't necessarily taught in school but are essential to career success."
When the polled CFOs were asked what single benefit they considered most important in having a mentor, the following responses were given:
Serves as a confidant or adviser - 35 percent
Provides insight into a particular field or industry - 27 percent
Provides encouragement and/or boosts morale - 21 percent
Provides introductions to key networking contacts - 12 percent
Provides educational training/technical support - 1 percent
Other - 1 percent
Don't know / can't choose just one - 3 percent
Certainly, most new corporate hires would love to gain some valuable inside information at their new job from a company supervisor.
But finding a mentor may not be an option at some companies, according to Gary Kaplan, president of Gary Kaplan & Associates, an executive search firm based in Pasadena.
"Some companies have formal approaches to mentoring, and they will assign an individual early in his career to someone who serves as a benefactor - or big brother," he said. "But my perception is the companies that do this are few and far between."
In professions such as accounting or taxation, employees are often far too busy to mentor new workers, according to Kaplan.
But sometimes, higher-ups in the executive world will take a special interest in promising new employees.
Kaplan said his first supervisor at Bell Laboratories was instrumental in putting him on a positive career track.
"I look back fondly at him as the best person I ever worked for," Kaplan said. "I learned an inordinate amount during the several years I spent under his direction at Bell Laboratories. I really learned how one maneuvers through the corporate world."
