Freelancing 101: Mentorship
It’s been a minute since we’ve revisited our Freelancing 101 series, so buckle in, folks! Today, we’re going to talk about something that can benefit newbie freelancers and freelancing all-stars alike: mentorship.
Mentorship Tips
Benefits of Having a Mentor (or Several) as a Freelancer)
Mentorship is something that’s more common in the old-school corporate world so it doesn’t often occur to the younger generations, but don’t scoff it away. Connecting with a mentor can be a genuine game-changer for several reasons.
First, whether you’ve been freelancing for a day or a decade, we all have gaps in our skills or things could do better. No shade! Finding someone who’s better at the skills you lack can help you learn their tricks and become an expert yourself.
Second, mentors are fantastic when you need a little dose of inspiration. Maybe you’re feeling drained or you’re stuck in a rut and need to figure out how to freshen things up for your business. That’s where a seasoned mentor can come in and give you a fresh perspective.
Finally, a mentor can be an amazing gateway to some lucrative networking. They’re more likely to have connections with people who may be potential clients for you or future project partners.
Tips for Choosing and Working with a Mentor
If you’re sold on the idea of a mentor, here are a few handy tips for finding the right fit and making it a relationship worth maintaining:
Don’t Look for a Perfect Person
We all know by now that no one’s perfect, and a common mistake in mentorship is trying to find someone who’s the ideal embodiment of who you want to be. #1, that person doesn’t exist so you’ll just be looking forever. #2, if you find someone you think is that person, you’ll uncover their flaws eventually, but if you’re putting them on a pedestal of assumed perfection, you might end up making the same mistakes they do. It’s better to have several mentors you look up to for specific skills or qualities: someone who’s a rockstar in your field, someone who’s mastered the sales funnel, someone who has an amazing work/life balance, and so on.
Expand Your Circle for More Options
You might not know anyone yet who fits the bill of a good mentor, and that’s okay. One of the best ways to find them is to expand your professional circle. That’s right: networking, networking, networking! Online and in person, make an effort to connect with friends or friends (or colleagues of colleagues). Or, get involved with a group that’s full of other freelancers and solopreneurs (wink wink). The larger your professional circle is, the more likely you are to meet someone who can help you expand your potential.Toss Aside What Intimidates You About Mentorship
A lot of people recoil at the idea of mentorship because they think of it as a very formal, even subservient relationship that they have no interest in. Toss that all out the window, because mentorship doesn’t have to look like that. It doesn’t even have to be a mutually agreed-upon mentorship. A mentor can just be someone you look up to for certain qualities and someone you have career-minded chats with to bounce ideas off of. It can be whatever you want it to be.
If you’re looking to grow as a freelancer (and, I mean, who doesn’t want to make more money or be more selective about doing the projects they love?), a mentor could be the perfect path forward. To start connecting with other amazing freelancers who can help you grow or can connect you with people who can, check out a Ladies Work Remote meetup near you!