Having a mentor and being a mentor are the connections that
can create an everlasting friendship as well as enhance the careers of all
parties involved. You find this relation in formal situations and arrangements
and informal ones, a successful relation is one in which both parties have a
mutual respect for one another.
Crochet Guild of America offers a mentorship program, which
matches new crochet professionals with established professionals to help
enhance the crochet industry, while ensuring that professional ethics and
standards are practiced and encouraged. It is these professional approaches
that help to bring crochet from a hobby to a career.
A new professional can expect their mentor to offer
practical advice from their personal experiences; they can expect constructive
criticism, and someone willing to point them in the right direction. Mentors
will not be teaching, they will not be giving their work away, they will not be
opening every door for a new professional; they will be showing them where the
doors are and explaining how to turn the handle.
A mentor can expect that the new professional is serious
about the endeavor, and willing to put in the work necessary to make their
goals a reality. A mentor can expect that the new professional is finding
answers for themselves as well as asking questions; they can also expect that
the new professional has respect for and consideration of their schedule and
work, as they are not an answer book simply a guide.
To obtain a mentor with CGOA, you must complete an AssociateProfessional Application; which requires that you have already began attempting
to work in the industry. After completing the Associate Professional level
(working in the industry for 2 years), you can complete the Professional
Application and be eligible to pass your knowledge and guidance forward to new
professionals as a mentor.