I’m convinced that you need two types of mentors in your professional life. One is the more seasoned person who rose through the same ranks you’re trying to navigate, and the other is a collection of professionals that might come from a variety of different areas of expertise.
Most people truly only consider the first one their MFL ("Mentor For Life", trademarked by yours truly). Somebody who has been there and done that. A person who is not only sitting where you hope to be sitting one day, but also living their life the way you want to live yours. Do they stay late? Do they take extra long lunches? Did they change their identity after the Korean War and regularly cheat on their wife who was stuck at home with two young children plus an infant? It’s important to consider how your MFL got where he/she is.
But don’t discount all of these other people that can help you. For advertising creatives, this means getting to know your Account Supervisors, planners, media gurus, and even your junior-level colleagues. Everybody brings a learning nugget to the table. They have a professional perspective that you can’t get from your immediate supervisor or MFL. If you want to be successful in your current role while fanning out your good karma to agencies across the country, start by recognizing that everybody knows at least one thing that could be of benefit to you.
With the right combination of people that you respect looking out for you, your career will stay on track. And more importantly, you’ll always have somebody with whom you can eat lunch.
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