Is this a new thing?

As I look to transition off active duty (again), I've been hitting LinkedIn more than usual. Trying to get a "proper" job for my education and work experience level. With me moving back to Florida but not Orlando, going to Jacksonville, it will be a challenge to establish myself since I know 2 people there. Why am I going there? Much more reasonable cost of living and seemingly less liberal that Orlando.

Read quite a bit about finding a mentor.

Thoughts from the Sig Forum brain trust are greatly appreciated.

Networking when looking for a job just plain works.

Virtually every good job I ever had I got because I knew the right person.

I would imagine that's what a mentor is for.

Traffic is comparable to Orlando, but wait there’s more! Jax has bridges! And then bitches will be closed or worked on throughout your remaking lifetime.

Last time I was in Jax it was for a funeral, and inevitably everywhere we needed to go was across the River.

Good luck!

Mentoring is a big part of the military. Often, your success is measured by the success of your subordinates.
The civilian workplace is far different from the military. Having a guide does much to help you succeed. Any job will have unwritten rules that knowing will be a great help.
My first teaching job was entirely due to a department chair I had substituted for. She called me, said to go to the district and apply for a job that was opening. I’m pretty sure she called ahead or had discussions with them.
Earlier, I’d spoken to my children’s principal about getting a job. He suggested working as a sub and networking. He also added that I’d find the districts and schools I’d want to work at.

That goes back quite a ways. A family member was very successful - but what I remember him bragging about was about how so many of his former employees did.

Real mentoring is generally where someone who is already a successful badass in your respective field notices something promising about you and decides to try to help you and guide you above and beyond that of a casual worlplace or career field relationship, not in singular favors or whatnot but real guidance.

Calling Bob of whomever with the occasional question, or getting shown around town, isn't Mentoring. Having lunch once a month with so and so isn't, necessarily, either. I've had two in my professional life, one in the music industry (a man), and one in the consulting field (a woman), both a few years long.

I knew each of them a year or two before anything meaningful began, fwiw. It's a responsibility on their part when real, something they don't take lightly as it/you may reflect negatively on them, plus the time investment, and survivorship bias, and competition, it can be quite difficult to find those who are willing.

Sounds like you're a bit early to be thinking about it yet.

Best of luck, regardless. Always be looking and watching for those you can learn from, whether or not it ever formalizes into some Mentorship. Show real interest. Be yourself (unless you suck). Ask good questions. Value and respect their limited time and energy. All that... and maybe, sometimes, it works out.

The rest I'd characterize as not really mentoring, just friends and colleages and favors and advice.

My story is similar to 46and2. In the late 1980's I had a great mentor. The term mentor was never used and it came about naturally. He was my boss, and not an easy man to work for but he saw something in me. We worked well together and I learned lessons that I applied for the remaining 30 years of my career.

Later in my career the HR department in a different company decided that all managers need a mentor and needed to mentor someone. As with anything mandatory it became a "ticket punched" activity without much value.

In short, if you develop a mentoring relationship naturally, it will probably have a great deal of value to both parties. Otherwise, there is a low probability of success.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Is this a new thing?

As I look to transition off active duty (again), I've been hitting LinkedIn more than usual. Trying to get a "proper" job for my education and work experience level. With me moving back to Florida but not Orlando, going to Jacksonville, it will be a challenge to establish myself since I know 2 people there. Why am I going there? Much more reasonable cost of living and seemingly less liberal that Orlando.

Read quite a bit about finding a mentor.

Thoughts from the Sig Forum brain trust are greatly appreciated.

Edmond, maybe your family here on Sigforum can help with the networking stuff. What kind of education and work experience do you have? What branch are/were you in? What are you looking to do once out of the military? I know a guy in Daytona that's a retired Navy Corpsman that is now in the medical field. Also, try getting to know folks at the VFW, AMVETS, or The American Legion in the area you're looking to settle in. They can be quite helpful. Good luck brother!

Networking is one thing, mentoring is another, IMO. I always thought of the latter as someone in the company or organization that we develop a continuing, close association with and who makes the effort to monitor and help us with our career through guidance and, to a degree, working on our behalf if/when necessary.

In recent times it seems to be something that is being viewed as how effective a leader someone is: “Does he mentor his subordinates?” When the question is raised, though, I’m not sure the people asking it are really clear on what mentoring is; it’s more than ordinary supervision and guidance to ensure that subordinates are doing their jobs correctly. Mentoring is also a two-way process. I can supervise someone regardless of what he thinks of me or his job; it’s not possible to “mentor” someone who doesn’t want to be.

There are references in the scientific community to the supposed disparity between how male and female subordinates are mentored, or not mentored. I once read a complaint by one woman scientist that senior (male) scientists were more likely to take male subordinates out to dinner for one-on-one discussions of the subordinates’ careers than they would offer young woman subordinates the same personal interaction. That was at the height of the #MeToo movement and I literally laughed out loud when I read it.

no not new

the concept has been around for decades -- but it is a bit of 'corporate speak'

basically a more tenured / experienced person -- not in your supervisory chain -- that can guide you and act as a decision-making sounding board.

it can work great. or NOT. also be careful as the junior in terms of who you hitch your professional wagon to. if that more senior person flames out or does something to discredit himself / herself -- you could have negative blow-back due to the association.

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