A mentor is there to help you, usually by providing support, encouragement and advice. Sometimes mentors or coaches take action on behalf of their mentees in ways designed to assist them directly. For instance, recommending you for committees, jobs, or promotions. Overall ways a mentor can help you Specific ways a mentor can help you Your relationship with your mentor might be formal or informal. You might have scheduled meeting times and days, with long-term goals and plans for your growth. On the other hand, you might find that you and your mentor operate in a more informal way where you spend time together when it is convenient, perhaps just talking. Your mentor can be expected to give you advice on how to handle various aspects of your career and how to solve problems as they emerge. A coach operates somewhat differently from a mentor in that coaches are usually goal oriented, working with you on specific areas where you need help. With a coach you will identify problems or challenging areas ahead of time and work toward developing your skills and abilities in those areas. While mentors often do this too, they might also have a broader role in your life in which they serve as general advisors for the broad scope of your career. In either case, you can expect to be able to pose questions, describe problems and challenges, and request advice and assistance on how you should take action to grow and solve problems. One of the benefits to emerge from your mentoring relationship is the relationship itself. As the relationship grows, you and your mentor will learn best how to address and handle issues in your career.