Ask, Learn, Grow

Having a mentor can be a rapid route to success for those who have just entered the workplace. By connecting with one, you can receive vital guidance as you move through your career, learning to avoid common pitfalls, identify your goals and hone your skillset. Ask, Learn, Grow explains how to establish this relationship, what you should be looking for in a prospective mentor, and how to take feedback positively. Once you're working with a mentor, you'll find doors opening that you didn't even know existed. You don't have to have it all figured out. Work in Progress is a series for anyone building confidence at work, whether you're stepping into a new role, switching paths or figuring things out as you go. These books help you build essential skills like speaking up, navigating setbacks and working with mentors, all without the pressure. Straightforward and practical, they make sense of the things no one teaches you, like what "professional" actually looks like. No jargon. Just real advice to help you grow with confidence, at your own pace. Because learning how to work is part of the job.

Catherine Adenle is the founder of Catherine's Career Corner, a career site empowering and inspiring ambitious candidates of all ages and professions to thrive and work smarter in their careers. She is based in Oxford, UK.

- - Chapter - 00: About the author;- Chapter - 01: Understanding mentoring;- Chapter - 02: Know your personal and professional 'why';- Chapter - 03: How to find, and approach, the right mentor;- Chapter - 04: Making the most of your first mentor meeting;- Chapter - 05: The essentials of being a great mentee;- Chapter - 06: Understanding hard and soft skills through mentorship;- Chapter - 07: Navigating feedback and learning to accept, and use, criticism;- Chapter - 08: Common mentoring pitfalls and how to avoid them;- Chapter - 09: How to conclude a mentoring relationship professionally;- Chapter - 10: Become a mentor. Pay it forward early;- Chapter - 11: Endnotes;