Starting or growing a career can be daunting and riddled with unknowns. Mentoring relationships offer young professionals the assurance of having a trusted, seasoned member of their community providing them guidance, feedback, and a level of accountability.
NCACPA is pleased to announce the official launch of Mentor Match this week, our newest offering on Connect. Mentor Match pairs up members who are looking for mentors with those who are looking to mentor and lend their career development expertise. We’re excited to be able to offer young professionals the power of our CPA network, combined with offering veteran CPAs the opportunity to give back to the profession, two benefits of our association that we know members highly value. What’s more, we love having the opportunity to match two members who can form a meaningful relationship both personally and professionally.
So why did NCACPA decide to devote resources to a mentoring program? Here are a few compelling reasons that stuck out the most to us:
Starting is the hardest part
The job search is more competitive than ever, so it helps to have a veteran of the work force there to help you navigate it. The same applies if you’ve been working for a while and are looking to try something new. Your mentor understands the struggle and has gone through it before, so they’ll have several pieces of wisdom they learned along the way and can share.
Third-party perspectives keep it real
While many employers have built-in mentoring programs, having a mentor outside of your place of employment can be even more valuable in some ways. When a mentor is starting to get to know you, they can offer you objective feedback and advice without any conflict of interest.
Extended networks mean more open doors
When you’re just starting in the professional world, you likely don’t have many professional connections. Or even if you do have a strong network, a mentor can offer you an entirely new pool of people, and thus, opportunities.
Support and accountability go a long way
Mentors have invested their time and energy into your success, and want to not only see you succeed, but help you along the way! For this reason, your mentor will be a reliable source of support, and someone else to hold you accountable to the goals you set and your action plan for achieving them.
Are you ready to take control of your professional future? We have seasoned NCACPA members ready and excited to help you along your journey.Sign up today.