Reach out, Move up – Finding your personal board of directors

Authors: Anya-Kaye Parkes, Christine Dyal, Robin Hyewoan Song and Sia Papadopoulos 

The NetWORK IT campaign 

This blog is part two of three in the NetWORK IT campaign led by Centennial College public relations and corporate communications students. Through collaborations with CivicAction and Centennial College Career Services, this campaign strives to spread awareness of the network gap and provide networking resources. 

Click here to find out more about Operation #NetWORKIT

Networking and Mentorship

Mentors provide meaningful networking opportunities, industry guidance and act as a cheerleader throughout your career. One simple conversation can start you on your way to building that special career connection. 

Even better is to have a network of mentors. Call this your “Personal Board of Directors” – a diverse group of people you trust, can run big decisions by, get feedback from, and engage with. Having a diverse group of people you can turn to will give you the advantage of many different viewpoints to help inform you of what next steps you can take to advance your career. 

Where should you look find this network? Researching leaders in your field can help find the best organization for your skillset. Reach out to two or three people when you first begin your search and make sure your LinkedIn profile is in tip-top shape before you begin. A great guide to perfect your LinkedIn profile can be found here. A solid LinkedIn profile reflects a professional attitude and potential mentors will get a better sense of why they should connect with/mentor you. 

If you’re not sure where to begin, check out the CivicAction Leadership Foundation’s Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) – an initiative that helps emerging leaders grow their network, build a leadership toolkit, and collaborate with other community leaders who want to learn how to succeed in their industry. 

Another resource is Ten Thousand Coffees, a virtual platform connecting colleagues, interns and new hires for virtual coffee chats. It’s a small commitment of time that can make a big difference in the search for a marvelous mentor. 

So put these resources to work for you and reach out! Your future Board of Directors is waiting to hear from you, willing to guide you and get you on your way to a great career.