🧠💭 Reimagine your support crew

Programming note: I’m interviewing Ken Collins from the land of AI later this week for our December Navigator of the Month. I’ll be asking Ken about how he’s approached a product career that is constantly evolving. If you have any questions for him, send them my way!

And don’t forget, as a supporting subscriber you can join our upcoming webinars. I’m really excited for you to meet our next guests, including the man behind McCafé, a professor who left academia after 24 years to start a nonprofit and a tech transplant who describes her career switch as “leaping over the waterfall”:

Register for upcoming Navigator Q&As

Here’s a peek at what’s around the bend for supporting subscribers looking to ask others about their career journeys!

Explore Your Career RiverBridget Thoreson

Mentorship in many forms

Ah, mentors. Those wise guides with a deep understanding of your strengths and your needs, who have the knowledge to responsibly direct you toward ultimate professional success.

Except when they don’t. Don’t understand you, don’t have time, don’t get where you’re trying to go or how to get there.

It stings when your mentor doesn’t offer the support you need. And yet, many of us pin our hopes on one or two guides at a time for our career journey.

🎁 A gift for you: This month, the first 20 people to gift a Career River paid subscription to a friend will automatically receive a matching gift for full subscriber access as a thank-you from me!

You and your gift recipient will enjoy exclusive access to monthly Q&As with other professionals, an instant download of the Map Your Career River worksheet, special offers and posts in your inbox every Monday. Happy holidays!

Part of the problem is focusing on who we can adopt as a mentor means we neglect what we need at a particular moment for our careers. Depending on where you currently are in navigating your career, though, it may be more helpful to look at what action you need right now and then figure out who can help you move forward. Here’s how: