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Has your partner offered to be your career mentor? Or, perhaps he hasn’t outright offered it, but you can feel him subtly shifting into that role (or at least adding it to his other list of roles of boyfriend and best friend). I had a boyfriend once attempt to be my career mentor. Perhaps I shouldn’t say “Attempt” because he did give me some great guidance, and at times he pushed me to do things I wouldn’t have had the confidence or know-how to do without his encouragement. If you have a spouse or romantic partner who works in the same industry as you do, but is slightly more advanced in his career, he could offer you some great advice and insight. However, anytime, you mix work and relationships, things can get messy. A purely professional mentor—one whom you aren’t dating—has its perks. I wish more successful women would mentor younger professionals. But, nobody knows you like your boo, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. Should your partner be your mentor? Consider this.
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He knows your strengths
He really knows your strengths in a way strictly professional contacts may not. He might know that you’re really good at navigating difficult personalities or at thinking outside of the box. He will be great at identifying just when your specific strengths should be put to use.
