A mentor is not a coach, not a psychologist, and not a "ticket to a professional future." He is a professional who has already achieved what you want. He gives professional advice, shares experience, educational materials, helps to develop a plan to achieve professional goals, shares connections (unlike a consultant or business coach), and simply put - a mentor helps not to step on the old rake. In the IT industry, mentors are most often senior engineers, leading architects, department heads, technical directors, and co-owners of businesses who previously held the role of CIO.

Mentor is your personal Google that gives answers to your request. The task of individual mentoring is to help solve your professional question/task. If you are planning a career change, starting a new business, or want to achieve greater results, a mentor will help you get effective results, leadership skills, and expert decisions faster.

Many of us try to solve a professional question/task on our own, having neither experience nor knowledge in this situation. What does this lead to? Poorly performed task, which entails fruitlessly spent time, and even losses for the company. To avoid such situations, it is necessary to contact professionals who already have experience and can immediately point you in the right direction.

• First of all, choose a mentor in your professional field/industry.

• Pay attention to the company in which the mentor works - this shows the experience and level of your mentor.

• Ask about the certifications and awards your mentor has. This is a confirmation that your mentor is a recognized professional not only at the level of the company in which he works.

1. Lack of a clear request to your mentor

In order for your consultation to be effective, you, like the mentor, need to prepare. Before meeting with the mentor, send specific and clear questions to which you would like to receive an answer/ready-made solution. Effective consultation means clear agreements.

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2. Lack of purpose and specific learning goals

If you are planning long-term classes with a specific mentor, you should immediately discuss with the mentor what you want to get as a result of training, what your goals are, and build a training schedule together with the mentor. This will help you see the full picture and the result of your training.

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3. Irresponsibility

A mentor is not a coach who gives you homework and you have to report to him. If no one controls you and does not follow your process, then do not look for a thousand reasons why you failed to achieve certain results. Be responsible to yourself.

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4. Passive participation in sessions or one-way communication

Feel free to ask questions, even if they seem a little silly. As they say, the stupidest question is the one that is not asked. Your mentor is your friend, mentor and assistant. Be persistent, honest and open, actively interact with the mentor, because the mentor himself will not be able to guess the purpose of your visit.

It would seem that mentoring consultations have been received, the project has been completed, the issues have been resolved... But don't forget that IT is the field where you need to be constantly up to date with all the latest news, developing technologies and innovations. So, here are some tips to stay afloat:

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• Stay up to date with the main news in your field, be interested in events that can benefit you and take part in them.

• Read current articles and news, because everything changes very quickly.

• Be interested in the experience and projects of your colleagues and partners - useful connections have never been superfluous.