Something really cool happened yesterday. A person that cold-contacted me via LinkedIn last year after reading my posts wrote me an email to thank me. They had asked my advice on safety degrees, certification, and career path. I gave them some specific advice based on their resume and experience. They took my advice and passed their ASP exam last week!
When I became involved with WISE Mentoring through ASSE, I began to keep a “mentor” folder in my inbox. This is where communication from my officially matched mentee goes. I have added communication from others to this folder as well – students from my construction safety class at a college, people I’ve met at conferences in the past two years, and cold-contact LinkedIn connections like the guy I heard from yesterday.
While it may seem like extra work, I have learned so much from my official and unofficial mentees. It’s an empowering experience to listen to someone, offer advice based on my experience, and see them go forth and do well!
In the email yesterday, the guy mentioned that he had initially contacted me because of my “articles.” Over the past two years, I’ve amassed safety and professional development content here on my website. Two of my most popular posts are what I use as my unofficial online mentoring crash course – basically, read these first, then contact me with your questions. If you have not read them in awhile, or ever, here’s the direct links:
Spilling Safety Secrets Part 1
Spilling Safety Secrets Part 2
Your unofficial online mentor is out there – it’s up to you to find them, you must do the work. Here’s some quick ideas on how to forge that relationship. I have used these tips to secure my own unofficial online mentors that I regularly keep in touch with.
