Skip to content
Skip to main content
header search
ahihi OpenLearn
OpenLearn
Menu
sticky search

Finding a mentor

Updated Wednesday, 17 January 2024

A mentor can empower your personal development and help you to identify and achieve your career goals. This article looks at what qualities you should search for in a mentor.

This content is associated with The Open University's Business and Management courses and qualifications.


It can be very helpful to find a mentor who will support you in your workplace learning. A mentor can help you think about problems you may be facing, and new ideas or ways of working you want to try out. They will usually help by listening to your thoughts and ideas and asking questions to help you think more clearly about them.

A mentor can be someone you work with who has experience relevant to your line of work. This is usually not your line manager, unless your employer requires it, or you work in a particularly learning-focused organisation. 

If you are not in paid employment you might prefer to choose a mentor who is close to your work context but who may also not be in paid employment. The key is to find someone who can help you to develop your skills, and who can give you a new and different perspective on your learning.

A mentor should be:

  • easy to approach
  • experienced in the sort of work and learning that you wish to do
  • able to direct you to other helpful people and has good contacts
  • interested in the learning that you are doing
  • able to meet with you two or three times during your module
  • willing to talk and listen to you.

Of course, you are unlikely to find anyone who matches this list perfectly and sometimes your choice can be very restricted.

Discover more content like this

Study a free business course

  • Different types of business

    Different types of business

    A small grocery store run by one person and perhaps their family must pose quite different challenges from a multinational corporation with operations in many different countries. This free course introduces different types of business, depending on industry sector, size and type of ownership and discusses some of the ways in which businesses ...

    Learn more to access more details of Different types of business
  • Business models in strategic management

    Business models in strategic management

    In this free course, Business models in strategic management, you will be introduced to the theory and practice of business models as they have developed in strategy literature. In particular, you will explore the emergence of the business model idea, types of business models and how business models can be designed.

    Learn more to access more details of Business models in strategic management
  • Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis

    Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis

    This free course, Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis, is designed to develop your writing skills for business. You will be taken step by step through the process of writing a SWOT analysis, with clear advice on selecting key information from a case study text, making concise notes, choosing an appropriate structure and using ...

    Learn more to access more details of Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis
 

Become an OU student

Ratings & Comments

Share this free course

Copyright information

Skip Rate and Review

For further information, take a look at our frequently asked questions which may give you the support you need.

Have a question?

Share this article