Can One Combine Networking for a Job with Mentoring?

Combining Networking for a Job with Mentoring
Michael D. Moore, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
Tricky proposition. If the request for mentoring with a person in a company you hope to work for appears to manipulative it won't work. If the potential mentor can be convinced that mentoring is not directly related to making an impression in order to get hired... It might work.

Networking and Mentoring
KATHRYN STEINER, MBA, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
Being honest and telling the mentor of your aspirations with respect to their company is appropriate, based on the definitions of mentoring included above.
Perhaps the person who is employed with the company the mentee wishes to work for, can provide information that would be "helpful in facilitation of learning towards long term goals," as stated in the introduction of this page.
Ultimately this may or may not include employment with their company. Katie.

Networking & Mentoring
Michael D. Moore, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
Katie - you are right on point with the honesty of the motive. As long as the mentor feels the mentee is credible with their desire for "learning', I don't see an issue.

Networking and Mentoring
KATHRYN STEINER, MBA, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
The mentor may share their observations on the mentees strengths, while honestly suggesting areas that could be improved. I agree that the basis for the mentoring relationship should be honesty.
The mentor may have an idea of a company that would be an ideal fit for the candidate, based also on the mentees background and qualifications.

Combining Networking with Mentoring
Sandip Pandya
If one reviews the definition of 'mentoring', it points to the relationship between mentor and mentee to be outside the subordinate-manager area. This characteristic reinforces the promise that bonds both mentor and mentee in exchange of responsibilities will give-and-take beyond the barriers of an official relationship as manager and subordinate.
In an organization with a set of procedures and rules for hiring, integrating networking with mentoring would support in-transit process to debottleneck the prevailing issue with the management, and will fail to go beyond.
Rather than combining with networking, mentoring if employed within the organization/department can be meaningful in simultaneous education of subordinates with different disciplines or interest.

Combining Networking with Mentoring
KATHRYN STEINER, MBA, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
Hello Sandip,
Your inclusion of the definition of the mentor and mentee relationship being "outside the subordinate-manager area," is thought provoking. I agree with the benefits of "mentoring if employed within the organization/department... In simultaneous education of subordinates of different disciplines or interest." I interpret this to mean that perhaps a mentee can be mentored by another who is not their direct supervisor, but rather an individual who can offer the mentee additional educational and growth opportunities outside their accustomed area of expertise. Katie.

Combining Networking with Mentoring
Sandip Pandya
I agree with this view-point. That is one of the landscapes on the carpet.
In another view, if the department head is omnipresent personality or a figure-head, he or she can up-bring other team members of diverse disciplines and interests to clap simultaneously. The team built-up is the tacit gain in the process with trust and reliability in the play and understanding in the outcome. It's a continued and on-going process with virtual members in action for their role to propel toward the decided destination within the same or respective orbit in other section or organization, as the case may be.

Combining Networking with Mentoring
KATHRYN STEINER, MBA, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
In other words, the best fit for the mentee can be determined by being mentored by those in other departments? The mentee can contribute to the departments of the mentor, even if briefly. Katie.

Combining Networking with Mentoring
Sandip Pandya
Yes and no. Any mentor can identify strength and weaknesses of mentee. However, in the growth stage of the career, the relationship can risk the individual or team performance with the cross -attitude. In the retirement phase of the career, however, mentor often helps propel the mentee or the competent colleague to displace him or her.

Combine Networking for a Job with Mentoring
Michael D. Moore, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
To sandip's point, I agree that a true mentoring realtionship will not usually come from the supervisor. The supervisor-employee relationship is complicated by the dynamics of responsibility for performance. It is hard to put the "boss" hat on one minute and then the "mentor hat" on the next.

Combine Networking for a Job with Mentoring
KATHRYN STEINER, MBA, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
Sandip, I can see what you are alluding to with your statement regarding the introduction of a mentee to a team, whether virtual or in person. There are dynamics of group interaction which may be compromised. Thank you for elaborating on the phase of a career that would benefit both mentee, mentor, and the organization.
Regards Michael, I agree with the dynamics of the supervisor-employee relationship not being ideal for a mentor-mentee relationship, although, when taken into consideration with a retirement or similar situation as Sandip included, this could work for everyone involved, including the above all the organization as a whole! There may be skills and qualifications that the mentee brings to a department that may not be present.

Combining Networking and Mentoring
Arthur Panton, Consultant, Kenya, Member
A fellow student decided to mentor her boss; he misunderstood at first and agreed to mentor her. She took him out to lunch and he was so impressed he ended up paying. He sees her in a different light now as she is making a thoughtful contribution to his business strategy.
It can work if you approach it sensibly i.e. it's for the good of the enterprise and not primarily the employee.

Mentoring with Employee of Organization of Interest Produces Various Outcomes
KATHRYN STEINER, MBA, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
There can be multiple benefits with approaching an individual you admire who works for an organization you consider for employment:
- Gaining insights regarding a specific position
- Learning more about the organization, pros and cons
These are useful in deciding whether to proceed with pursuing employment.
Also the meeting(s) may contribute to positive changes for the mentee. I've been counselled when seeking employment with a particular organization to request an informational meeting with the contact person, even if a friend or acquaintance. I have presented a business situation to a person I know outside the company I'm currently employed with, which evolved into a discussion that brought me greater insights into my career in general. They said consulting them in this way is OK.