Ever wish you had a way of seeing what your career might be like in 20 years? Yeah, me too. However, since the DeLorean was our best effort at time travel and because most us are not willing to pay $40 an hour to have someone read our future from a foggy crystal ball, your best bet might be going with a medium of foretelling that’s a little more realistic.

While a having a career mentor may not seem like the most fantastical way of getting a glimpse of your future career, it’s certainly something that all young professional should deeply consider having for the many benefits and insights that a mentor can provide.  The following five reasons will explain how you can gain insight, get helpful criticisms, build your professional network and make yourself an invaluable asset to any company — all by  taking on a mentor.

1.  Direction
The most important factor in choosing a mentor is to find someone whose current occupation mirrors your ideal career (or something very close to it). You want someone who can show you the necessary steps you must take to reach your end goal, so you want to make sure you both have the same end goals in mind. A mentor who pushes you toward a different field from the one you desire, even if he or she is doing it with the best intentions, will not benefit you in the long run, and may even cause you to choose a career that does not fit you at all.

2.  Encouragement
When the day just isn’t going your way and you feel as if your career is headed towards a dead end, a mentor can be there to give you that little bit of encouragement you need to get back on your feet. Remember, if its happening to you it has most likely happened to your mentor ten times before. Hardly any us, no matter how intelligent or charismatic we are, go through life without facing some sort of rejection. Your mentor can not only be a great support system but can also provide you with advice on how to avoid these issues in the future.

3.  Build Extensive Networks
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know; and if you know a career mentor, you’re in luck. Having been in their field for a substantial amount of time, most established professionals have their fair share of professional networks both in and out of their respective fields. So when summertime comes around, and you’re looking for that coveted internship at J.P. Morgan Chase, make sure you let your mentor know. Even if you’re a little further up the career ladder and are looking for an entry level job, a career mentor can be a great person to call upon if you want your resume to skip right over those piled up in human resources. Though there are some exceptions, most employers are much more likely to pay attention to a candidate that was recommended to them by someone they know. Your mentor should be that someone.

4.  Receive Constructive Feedback
Criticism about your life’s goals, work ethic, and productivity, while it is not always warranted, can be a great way to recognize the areas of our lives that can use a little improvement. Thus, having an individual in your life who can provide that for you should be looked upon as an invaluable resource. Although, some of you may think that your mom already filled this position 20 years ago, it is important to have someone, apart from your family and friends, that can offer you unbiased, honest, and constructive feedback.

5.  A Realistic Experience
The most beneficial type of mentor is one who can give you a realistic idea of what is to be to expected if you follow your desired career path. This means that, unlike the first week orientation at your new job, a good mentor will tell you exactly what to expect from a career such as theirs, in terms of growth potential, salaries, work schedules, benefits and, most importantly, negative aspects. He or she will paint a picture that does not glorify the profession of your choice, but rather presents it in a well rounded fashion, so that you can objectively decide if this is truly the ideal career for you.

Even with all these benefits it is expected that some of us might feel a little apprehensive about asking a respected professional to be our career mentor. If that’s the case keep in mind that there are plenty of mediums which are designed to help you find one –career fairs, college career offices (if you’re still in college), and social networking events. And, if the aforementioned venues are not really your thing, you can definitely conduct an independent search to find yourself a great career mentor. In fact, seeking out a career mentor on your own can be a great way to demonstrate the type of initiative career mentors want to see in their prospective proteges. But no matter how you decide to choose your career mentor, just make sure he/she fully understands your career goals and can point you in the best direction for accomplishing them.

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