A mentor and a life coach may seem similar, but their roles differ significantly in purpose and approach.
A mentor is someone with experience who offers advice, support, and guidance to someone less experienced, called a mentee. Mentors share their knowledge and experiences to help mentees learn and grow in their work or personal life. This relationship is often long-term and built on trust, understanding, and mutual respect, focusing on the mentee’s specific goals or career development.
A life coach is a professional trained to help individuals identify their goals, overcome challenges, and unlock their full potential. Life coaching usually takes a more structured and goal-oriented approach, often involving accountability and actionable strategies to facilitate personal growth and change.
While mentors draw on their personal experiences to guide others, life coaches focus on asking powerful questions and providing tools to help clients find their own solutions.
Both can be incredibly valuable, but the choice depends on your needs—whether you seek guidance from someone who has walked a similar path or need help creating a vision and actionable steps for the future.