Why A Mentor Is Invaluable For Your Sanity And Your Career

“Have you ever considered wearing an apron every morning while you get the children ready?” A simple question posed to me by a former Military Spouse. A very simple idea, but no, I had never considered it. I thought aprons were for cooking.

My insight into the practical uses of the apron at all times of day came from a remarkable lady. A Retired Military Spouse, she successfully built a career in a field similar to mine while simultaneously raising three children, relocating all over the world at regular intervals and supporting her husband through his 30 year Navy career.

As a Military Spouse she has been through the challenges of managing a household with her husband deployed. She understands the conflicting desire to pursue a career and spend meaningful time with a young family. She has also dealt with the most daunting work related challenge I face right now - getting out of the house with two young children by 6.30am in a cleanly pressed suit.

I used to imagine mentoring as a very formal arrangement where a more seasoned professional would provide someone like me with sage counsel and advice on the next career move. In recent years I have learned that a mentoring arrangement can be invaluable in all aspects of my life.

As Military Spouses, we face a greater range of daily hurdles than most. My sister was half way through her tale of a tough week (her husband had worked until after 6 most nights), when she remembered that mine had been gone for 5 months, wasn’t coming home for another 2, and my closest family is an 8 hour flight away. As career minded Military Spouses we face these hurdles, the uncertainty of where we will be in 6 months time, and also pursue our own independent careers. Who wouldn’t want unbiased advice from someone who has been there and done that beforehand!

What Is a Mentor?

A mentor is somebody you can turn to for advice, inspiration, or a fresh set of ideas. A mentor can connect you with resources and with other people. A mentor is someone who may have walked a similar professional path before you, and can impart the wisdom that only comes with experience. A mentor who understands the challenges of the military lifestyle is of particular value to those Military Spouses pursuing professional career paths.

Ideally a mentor is not a current colleague. You need to avoid any potential conflict of interest as you seek workplace related advice or discuss your future plans. Your mentor needs to be somebody with whom you connect. It should be somebody you enjoy talking to, trust, want to learn from, and somebody who also has the time to develop the relationship.

So Where Can I Find a Mentor?

You may already know someone who would make a great mentor. A mentor could be somebody you have worked with previously, or someone who trained you. If nobody springs to mind, there are a number of great nonprofit organizations which work to connect Military Spouses with appropriate mentors. The MilSpouse eMentor Program enables you to locate willing mentors within both corporate America and the Military Spouse community. Joining Forces Mentoring Plus offers similar mentoring resources to Female Veterans and Military Spouses. For more information on Mentoring, including how to ask, visit IGC’s Professional Development pages.