My Mentor: Who do you consult with when you have big decisions to make? Or when you thinking about making a change?
Me: My mother, and I talk to my friends.
My Mentor: You need to build an advisory board. A group of wise peoplewho you can discuss career advice with, who do not have bias. People who are experienced and people who are where you want to be in the future.
Me: How do I build an advisory board?
My Mentor: By asking. People who have achieved greatness want to give back and encourage others to do well too.
Me: I can’t simply ask a CEO to be on my Advisory Board.
My Mentor: But you could ask a CEO to share some of the insights that has made her or him successful and I am sure they would tell you. If you made a few connections and keep in touch with them by telling them how you are progressing, they will eventually land on your Advisory Board.
Then you will have wise and experienced individuals to discuss your important decisions.
This piece of advice was very useful to me. My father passed away when I was 21 and I only had my mother and a few friends to discuss what I wanted to do. When it came to career decisions, I picked the smartest person I knew to discuss it with – Dr. Jim Wright. He was the Head of the Department of Earth Sciences and I discussed each job change with him for 10 years after I graduated.
Over time, I built an Advisory Board. They are a group of people who have more experience than I do and are much wiser. But most importantly, they are very giving with their time, their guidance, and sharing their experiences.
I recommend that if you want to be successful, start now and build your advisory board. It will help you fast-track and make the right decisions.
If you would like to have a 15 minute conversation with me, I am happy to hear your story and share my experience.
Thanks Jim! Dr. James Wright (1941-2010)
How To Get a Job Without Experience Starts Aug 28th!
Check out the details here and get your future job!
Carol
