It's amazing how much difference a year can make, especially in terms of your career. Last summer, I completed a Fellowship at the agency where I still work in a practice area that I had never considered--research and analytics. While I had some research experience in college, I thought I was meant to be on the account side of PR. Fast forward one year, and I proudly admit to being a total research nerd. I'm fascinated by data, especially social media-related, and how it leads to actionable insights for clients.
Am I losing you with research jargon? Hope not. Here's how things have gotten interesting:
I'm also a creative at heart. I kept a Word doc of links to eye candy from across the web before Pinterest existed. I even took graphic design courses in college because they kept me sane during tough semesters. After delivering insightful but data-heavy reports for almost a year, I started to feel the urge to make my work more creative. Yes, at first, the idea of merging research and creativity sounds like mixing oil with water. One is left brain, while the other is right. Still, it makes sense in a world where digital media is being used to communicate complex ideas. Non-research nerds don't care about data unless it's wrapped in a pretty (and relevant) package. I want to be part of creating and delivering that package.
In a recent post that I wrote for Sweet Lemon Magazine's blog about my first annual review, I mentioned this quote: "Your dream job does not exist. You must create it." I've realized that as I define what I want my niche career path to look like, I am already beginning to create it. Along the way, I plan to share tips for merging multiple interests and creating a unique path. My first tip is to find and start to make the most of a career mentor (#8 on my 25 Before 25 list).
Consider goals: Before finding a career mentor, ask yourself what you hope to gain from the relationship. My goal was to build a relationship with someone from outside my team who could help me find opportunities that would merge my interests. While I have a great relationship with my manager, she represents only the research side of the equation. My mentor now represents the creative side. So, how did I find her?
Ask for recommendations: Fortunately, my agency has a formal mentorship program, but don't panic if your company doesn't. Reach out to your HR department or someone with experience in your field for recommendations. After an initial meeting to discuss my goals, HR worked with my manager to find someone within the agency who could best help me reach those goals. Remember, your mentor can be either within or outside your company.
Set expectations: After your mentor has been selected, have an initial meeting to explain your expectations for the relationship, including details such as privacy and timing. For instance, how will you and your mentor determine which conversations are okay to share with others and which are not? How often will you meet, and who will coordinate meetings? Talking through these details outlines how the relationship will function from the start.
Create an agenda: My mentor and I decided on monthly meetings. Before each meeting, HR suggested that I choose a topic and write out a list of possible questions for discussion. Keep it flexible. The first topic I chose was simply an introduction and overview of my mentor's career. During that meeting, I wrote down tips that could be applied to my own career. Before our first meeting ended, my mentor and I also set two goals for me to achieve before next month's meeting.
Recap discussion: Following the meeting, I wrote a brief recap email to keep as a record, as well as to share with my mentor, manager, and HR. You don't necessarily have to share a recap with others, but it will act as a helpful record to look back on, especially in terms of setting and reaching goals. In this email, I also made sure to thank my mentor for her time. Everyone's time is precious, so make your appreciation known.
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