By Chris Perez, University of Tennessee,
Knoxville TSCPA Student Ambassador
Let’s
talk about life for a minute. Being a college student is an awesome, but frequently
tumultuous time. We are in circumstances that are constantly changing, learning
new things every day, and struggling through the work that we hope will lead to
our ideal futures. That’s tough! New people and environments can throw us off
balance. Classes and professors are challenging and stressful. The closer we
get to our desired careers, we frequently find that we know even less than we
could have imagined. What’s an academic like us to do? Get a mentor.
Just
as Luke Skywalker has Yoda, Daniel has Mr. Miyagi and the Kardashians have
their Momager, everyone has the possibility of being aided along their journey
by a mentor - if only they seek to find one. A mentor can be the anchor to
ground and encourage during shaky intervals or can offer clarity where there
seems to be none. After all, Neo would still be stuck in the Matrix if Trinity
and Morpheus hadn’t been his Sherpas along the path to becoming “The One.”
I’m
an “unconventional student” in that after high school I spent the better part
of a decade living in New York City, where I studied musical theatre and worked
as a performer. It was an excellent time in my life, but time keeps moving, and
my life started moving in another direction. Skip ahead a few years, and I
found myself in a real college for the first time, pursuing a degree in
business management at a local community college.
If
you want to feel out of place, try embarking on a new career path, studying
formally for the first time in a decade and living in a state you’ve only ever
visited. It is not for the faint of heart. Business management wasn’t really
clicking, but I had a mandatory accounting class that I was doing well in, and
the professor, Carrie Davis, and I really seemed to vibe. I felt like I had
stumbled onto something. So, I made a move that hasn’t always been in my
nature: I asked for help.
I can
ask for help choosing an outfit or with reading a map, but real life HELP - the
kind that you have to get vulnerable and raw to admit you need, was not
something I was apt to request. However, something in me felt that I could go to
Professor Davis and ask about the world of accounting and if I might fit in. This
is probably one of the most correct choices I’ve ever made. Because I asked
questions, I learned that my professor went to the University of Tennessee
(where I intended to transfer), had connections with accounting firms in
Knoxville and was involved in the corners of the career that I found most
interesting. So, as we got to talking more, I took the leap and formally asked
to be mentored. Now, I have someone in my corner that truly knows. My parents
love me, my friends can weigh in, but Professor Davis has walked the path I’ve
chosen and can advise me from a place of invaluable experience.
“But
what exactly is a mentor, and how do I get one? It’s not like I can order one
on Amazon!”
Very
well observed. No, there is not an online Mentor Vendor waiting for you to come
calling. A mentor may not even be obvious at first. There is no uniform, and
they can live in normal society completely undetected.
Your
mentor should be someone with whom you have a few things in common. Be sure to
seek an individual who possesses a balance of openness to opportunity. Someone
that garners admiration as well as respect, while reciprocating that same
esteem for your thoughts, beliefs, feelings and goals. It is difficult to learn
from someone if there isn’t common ground and mutual respect, so be sure that
your mentor is more Gandalf than Sauron. Both are great and powerful, but one
is bent on using others in the interest of ultimate destruction. Don’t pick
that one. A mentor should be trusted to give relevant advice and encourage
innovative ideas. Hopefully, this is someone who challenges themselves and
those around them to succeed. Remember, a mentor is not someone whose job it is
to stroke egos or offer compliments.
Getting
someone to mentor you is a kind of courtship. People invest in others they believe
in and enjoy. Be sure that you stand out for the right reasons. Whether your
potential mentor is a professor or professional in your field, you need to know
that this person has a lot going on, and donating their time is probably low on
their to-do list. Be interested. It makes you interesting. Be honest. It makes
you relatable. Be direct. Knowing that you want mentorship is ok. It’s way
better to be upfront than dance around the subject. If you are making a genuine
connection and relating to one another, asking for mentorship isn’t a betrayal
of that connection, it’s an extension. Should your prospective mentor decide to
take you under their wing, that expense deserves acknowledgment and
appreciation. Small occasional purchases, such as coffee or a card, are great
ways to demonstrate your thanks. Be sure to continue this appreciation by
showing up to meetings on time (or early) and having thought-provoking
questions to ask. Update your mentor on successes and openly share your
struggles. The more that is communicated, the stronger the relationship will
be, and the more likely it is that they can understand how to be of best
assistance. After all, unless your mentor is Professor X, it is not likely that
they can read your mind, so it is up to you to share.
So,
if you are feeling rudderless and lost at sea as college and the world at large
unfold on your rocky horizon, fret not. There is hope out there in the form of
incredible people already sailing the seas of success. Be on the lookout for
the sailors that seem like they could help captain your ship. Say, “Ahoy.” Make
that connection. Ask for a life raft. Sail ahead into the future with a little
bit of help. I’ll see you there.
