The past few months have provided an opportunity for the professionals to upskill themselves and be relevant for the changing job scenario. Though there has been a constant rise in the number of online learning users, the satisfaction of one-on-one learning is what even they miss. As per a mentorship survey by Springboard, around 79 percent of Indian professionals prefer an upskilling program with 1:1 mentor access. The report mentions that as more people work from home, the need for mentor-led, career-focused partnership is what today’s career-changers and job-seekers need. While leaders and job seekers are rethinking on how growth and development is perceived, the virtual mentoring programs can fill the major gaps in the current job market and help people across the world achieve their career goals.

The survey also reveals that 62.7 percent of professionals prefer to take an upskilling program that gives them access to a mentor, while a whopping 87.9 percent respondents feels access to a seasoned mentor can profoundly boost their career success and trajectory. 79.4 percent of respondents on the other hand feel that they can smoothly transition to a position in a new industry with the help of a mentor, while 41.9 percent of professionals mentioned that their biggest challenge in their career growth is the need of a mentor to guide them. However, 46.4 percent of the respondents were unable to find a mentor that suited their needs.

COVID-19 has indeed presented an opportunity for professionals to upskill themselves and focus on their career growth to align with the changing work culture, work from home.

“The survey has brought to the fore many points. Firstly, intentional mentorship programs have a definite impact on filling the opportunity gap that keeps people from advancing within organizations or while changing jobs. Secondly, there is a great potential in every professional looking to upskill – they just need to be directed and guided in the right manner. Our survey has shown us that, while content and certification are just the tip of the iceberg and can help a professional grow only to a certain extent whereas effective mentoring can do wonders by applying that knowledge at the right place, in the right manner. To succeed, good mentoring is of utmost importance, it is also one of the strongest areas which people misunderstand as teaching. A mentor is someone you can look up to at any point in your life in terms of professional and personal support. They can facilitate your success in your career and beyond,” says Vivek Kumar, Managing Director, Springboard India.

COVID-19 has indeed presented an opportunity for professionals to upskill themselves and focus on their career growth to align with the changing work culture, i.e. work from home. However, to adjust to this sudden change and fit into the box, professionals seek mentoring while learning. While 69.4 percent respondents believe that re-skilling is closely linked to career growth, 79 percent are willing to take up a re-skilling program that gives them 1:1 access to the mentors. Indeed the importance of learner and mentor are equivalent, this needs certain skills and structures to make it work.