Hey everyone! My name is Monica Karkhanis and I am currently a sophomore communication major with a focus in public relations at the University of Maryland, College Park. This is my first semester as an intern for Think Talk and I am really excited to blog about social media and how it can help your career. Find me on Twitter and be sure to continue following ThinkTalk!

This week I wanted to focus on something a little different than social media (okay maybe a lot different): mentors.

I am teaching a public relations related course for the University of Maryland, and the professor is notorious for over-emphasizing (in good way!) the importance of having a professional mentor in the field that you plan to work in. Before taking the role as a teaching assistant for this course, I took as a student.

When he first assigned every student the responsibility to find a professional public relations practitioner in the field we are most interested in (mine being entertainment) I felt awkward and unsure. Now, I have my fair share of socially awkward encounters and experiences with people, but the thought of e-mailing a professional- or even calling- really freaked me out. Why do I need to contact someone I do not know and expect them to provide me guidance? I thought, hey I have my academic advisors and an internship lined up—I’m good to go. WRONG.

Having a professional mentor while you are still a college student can be incredibly beneficial to your own professional and individual growth. Professional mentors can answer any inquiries you have about a given field and offer helpful tips, advice and wisdom. I am actually very thankful that my professor required us to all have a mentor—my mentor has given me great advice about public relations internships and has even gotten me in contact with other professionals in my industry.

Now that I have the role as teacher, I really try to get through to my students that they too will have even more opportunities thanks to a mentor. Establishing a relationship with a professional can give you a leg up on getting an internship and/or a job. If you form a bond with your mentor they may be willing to provide you with a formal recommendation when needed and suggest opportunities for you.

Mentors have been where you are sitting and they understand what it is like to be a college student; they have already run down the path you are trying to find and can encourage and guide you in the right direction. According to this article at The Internshiprs blog, not only can mentors be a great source from you to learn from, but also acquiring a mentor expands your connections (which can be of great help after graduation).

So, where can you find mentors? For starters, if you visit your campus’s career center your advisors can recommend and help get you in contact with university alumni. And, for those of you taking advantage of all the social media and networking tools available for free online **wink** you can find a mentor through researching different companies and contacting a person who works there. Contacting a mentor can go beyond e-mails and phone calls. You can follow them on Twitter and tweet for their advice, or make a connection on LinkedIn. Good luck!