How to be a great career wingman

careerbuilder

Step up your professional development with the help of a career wingman.

If you’re just starting out in your career or don’t have much of a professional network to utilize, it can be tough to make progress in your professional life. While it can be helpful to find a mentor, or work on your social media presence, some people—like recent graduates—really benefit from having a career wingman on their side.

So
what is a career wingman, and how do you excel at it? Instead of a
mentor, or somebody who’s likely more mature and established in his
career and can pass on the benefits of their experience to you, a C.W.
is often somebody at the same age and experience level in his career as
you are. And because you’re both in the same spot, it can be equally
beneficial to serve as career wingmen for each other because you’ll be
able to offer personalized support for what the other is working through.

As for how to be a great career wingman, here are the three rules to get you both ahead in your careers.



Rule No. 1: Know each other’s strengths and weaknesses
Just
like when you’re setting a friend up with a date, it’s helpful to know
personal details about your C.W. that will entice others into meeting
him. Be sure to know their professional goals, past experience, what
they’re currently working on and their personal working style. These are
professional basics that employers want to know, as well as others
you’ll be networking with or encountering along your career path.

On
professional networking sites, vocalize the skills and expertise that
your fellow C.W. possesses, as well as the proof and results you’ve seen
of their work. For instance, you might endorse their skills on social
media, or leave a review of them on their professional website.
Employers don’t mind if a potential employee is missing a few of the
requirements for a position if they can demonstrate that they have great
potential and have already established some success in their life. By
backing up your C.W.’s work ethic and professional experience, you’re
giving the potential employer a boost of confidence that your C.W. is
capable of getting the job done.



Rule No. 2: Network together
Most people don’t enjoy networking, and younger professionals
often find the process intimidating since they don’t have many
bargaining chips to use when meeting others. But if you have a C.W. on
your side, a networking event may begin to feel like any other social
event you’ve attended. The key is to have fun, be outgoing and play a
support role to your C.W., just like they’ll be doing for you.

For
networking events, prepare ahead of time and research who else might be
attending, and also look into recent industry news for conversation
starters. At the event, people are much more likely to be attracted to
your conversation if it’s clear that you and your C.W. are enjoying
yourself and being social. And because you and your C.W. already know
each other’s strengths and accomplishments, it will be easy to introduce
them to networking attendees who may be a good connection, and share
why your fellow C.W. is someone they need to meet.



Rule No. 3: Work on professional development together
From
public speaking and persuasive writing, to tax forms and nonprofit
organization standards, whatever profession you’re getting into, there
are some areas you’re going to have to master in order to get ahead.
Whether it’s a professional certification you need to study for, or
simply a presentation that you want to practice for, having a C.W. means
having somebody to bounce your ideas off of, somebody to study with and
somebody to review your work.

The biggest benefit to
having a career wingman is that you’ll always have somebody that’s
invested in your success, and will be there to help you achieve it. A
C.W. is different than a spouse or family member who wants to support
your happiness, because your career wingman should be a source of honest
feedback, informed advice and inspiring ambition. While family and
friends will often encourage you to take a hit in your career if it
means personal happiness, your C.W. should have better insight on how to
get ahead in your career, even if it means working through some
unsavory parts of your professional development. The good news is that
no matter what, your career wingman will be there to make sure you come
out on top.