“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” -John Crosby
Connecting with a mentor may be the most important relationship you develop as a New Canadian professional. You may connect with a mentor for a number of reasons and may also find more than one mentor. Mentorship relationships may be formal and defined and arranged through a third party, such as the YMCA’s Mentorship program. Mentorship relationships may also be informal, with uncertain terms, such as a series of information interviews or a contact you may chat with from time to time. Mentors may help you connect with information about your profession in Canada or about your English, communication, and interpersonal skills.
While you undoubtedly have a world of professional knowledge and experience from your home country there are subtleties, trends and insider information about your profession here in Canada that you won’t learn without contact with other professionals established in your field. You may have excellent spoken and written communication skills, but are having trouble making inroads. Mentors can help to provide insider information and clarify cultural subtleties about communication in Canada. A mentor can expand your professional network and, as the quote above says, point you in the right direction.
Explore some of the links below about mentorship and create a mentorship strategy with your Employment Counsellor.
