| When you look at successful professionals or business
executives, one thing that sets them apart from the others is the coaching
or mentoring that they received along their way to the top. It is readily
accepted by the most intelligent and most ambitious people among us that we
can never have all of the answers. Therefore, instead of re-inventing the
wheel, it is always advisable to listen to the advice of people who have
"been there before us" or who are able to help us out with strategic
planning that will enable us to avoid the pitfalls along the way. Just
think about it: all of today's professional athletes have coaches. These
coaches can be generalists or specialists, but just taking a hockey team
into consideration, you will find defense coaches, goalie coaches, forward
coaches, team psychologists, etc. Politicians have speaking, writing and
public image coaches. Singers, dancers, skaters and olympic swimmers have
personal coaches. Even Tiger Woods has a golf coach!
In fact, when you are close to the top, the difference between success
and failure can be very small. All you need is a small piece of well-placed
advice and it will make all the difference in the world.
TUTORS ARE LEARNING COACHES:
So, when you think about it, students should have the benefit of learning
coaches or mentors just like anyone else. After all, most of us spend
anywhere from 12 to 20 years of our life attending formal education classes
so that we can become trained and prepared for a satisfying career upon
graduation. The students who are the top of the class are always competing
for scholarships, bursaries, awards, and positions in prestigious university
and college programs. For the top students in the class it makes a great
deal of sense to have a tutor who can help you gain a competitive advantage
over the others. It may only be one or two marks that make the difference.
For students who are struggling in school, a tutor can mean the
difference between passing and failing. If graduation is delayed by a single
year, it could mean a loss of $40,000 in salary that could have been earned
if you had graduated on time. That means that the investment of $2000 or
$3000 in a tutor would give you a good return.
With respect to education, it is a wise parent who finds a good tutor
BEFORE their child experiences difficulty in school. Tutors should not be
seen as "fire-fighters", called in during emergencies only. They should be
there to prevent fires. They should be there for preventative purposes.
CAREER PLANNING OR EDUCATION - IT MAKES
SENSE...
So whether you are looking for advice on career planning or simply for
guidance and tutoring assistance in any of your formal education courses, it
makes a lot of sense to start looking for a good tutor or mentor. When you
find one, he/she will be able to help you develop a strategic plan which
will certainly give you a better chance of achieving your desired outcomes.
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