Chris Myers: Mentorship Is Key To Life Success For Young Professionals [OPINION]

Mentors not only teaches you about what is important (both personally and professionally); they also provide a verifiable backbone on which to stand as you take on the world.

The value of the mentor/mentee relationship can never be over emphasized. Most people confess that they "wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it weren’t for the impact and guidance of my mentors."

Chris Myers writes on the Top Three lessons he learnt about mentorship that he think can help anyone find success.

Don’t be afraid to seek out mentorship

If I could give young professionals one piece of advice, it would be to ask someone to mentor them. Mentors aren’t going to go out of their way to drag someone along if they don’t show initiative. Mentorship is something that requires strong commitment from both parties, and takes a lot of effort. The end results, however, are more than worth it. I can personally attest to the fact that the lessons, connections, and opportunities that mentors provide are invaluable. It’s up to you, however, to ask and take advantage of what mentors can offer.

Learn to recognize the accelerators in your life

My first job right out of college was an internship at a real estate investment trust by the name of Cole Capital. It was an interesting place to work, but my role was of no particular importance. Still, I was thrilled to have the opportunity and put an insane amount of effort into even the most menial of tasks. This behavior caught the attention of the CEO’s personal assistant, who went out of her way to connect me with him. This was a huge opportunity, but one that could have easily been overlooked.

Fortunately, I recognized the favor she was doing for me and I ended up developing a very close relationship with the CEO, Christopher Cole. Mr. Cole was the first major accelerator in my career, quickly introducing me to the world of entrepreneurship, writing, and executive management. His impact on the trajectory of my life cannot be overstated, and I continue to owe him a great debt of gratitude to this day.

Remember that mentorship is a two-way street

Too many young professionals fail to realize that mentorship is a two-way street. You have to deliver tremendous value to your mentor as well, and that often means working longer and harder than those around you. Nearly everything that has led me to this point in my life is a direct result of working to provide tremendous value to my mentors.

I firmly believe that mentorship is the best path to career and life success, hands down. The benefits that you can gain from a good mentor relationship can outweigh grad school, natural ability, and even dumb luck. The key is to have the foresight and humility to ask to be mentored. If you start there, you’ll find that there are plenty of accelerators in your life who can add value. More importantly, you can take it upon yourself to add tremendous value for them. In doing so, you’ll ensure that you get the most out of the mentor relationship and find success in your life and career.


Chris Myers is the Cofounder and CEO of BodeTree, a web application designed to help small businesses manage their finances.