How to find a mentor: your step-by-step guide

Hi there!

Welcome back to your series on career growth and development. By now, you may have found some clarity around your professional development goals and have started shaping your career development plan. (If you’re feeling stuck on either of those topics, drop any lingering questions or confusions in the comments.) This week, we’re exploring one aspect of your career support network: mentors.

Mentors are people with experience who provide guidance and advice in an area you–the mentee–are less familiar with. Your mentor should have some kind of experience or insight that you currently don’t have—but that you want—and they’re willing to share with you.

Mentors can supercharge your professional development. Some studies have shown that mentorship has the potential to increase your confidence, boost your chances of a promotion, and even lead to higher pay. Best of all, those who have been mentored are more likely to mentor others. It’s a virtuous, self-perpetuating cycle.

Keep in mind that a mentor is not the same as a sponsor. Mentorship tends to be a more casual relationship centering broad growth goals, whereas sponsorship is a focused relationship with someone in a senior position who invests in your growth by strategizing your career advancement and using their power to secure opportunities for you. Both are great relationships to have, but it’s typically easier to find a mentor than a sponsor.

So, how do you find a mentor?

Here are some steps you can take:

1. Explore your network. Look around at work, within your professional associations, or online to identify people who have accomplished something that you hope to accomplish. Make a list of those that you’d like to reach out to. 

You also may take a closer look at the “resources” section of your career development plan. Zero in on the people you wrote down here. You may already know the perfect potential mentor!

2. Reach out. Contact your potential mentor and ask if they’d be willing to meet with you to talk about their expertise and share their insight. This isn’t the time to ask if they’ll be your mentor—you should see how your meeting goes before you decide whether there’s a mutual fit and interest in forming that relationship. Depending on your current relationship, this outreach can be similar to how you may approach an informational interview.

3. Meet up. Treat your potential mentor to a cup of coffee or lunch and get to know them. Think of this as the interview stage: you may ask them about their career successes or see if they have advice on the area you’re aiming to improve. Practice active listening and consider preparing questions.

As you get to know each other, look for signs that you’ll be able to develop a productive rapport. Ask if they’d be willing to build a relationship and continue offering advice. Again, you don’t have to formalize your mentorship immediately—your relationship can build over time—but if you feel confident, you may mention that you’re looking for a mentor to gauge their interest.

4. Nurture your relationship. Check in with your (potential) mentor and continue building your relationship. Share your goals and progress, and be open to receiving guidance and support. Make sure to respect their time and boundaries.

5. Grow and give back. As you gain experience or move into new positions, you may want to find new mentors to help you meet new challenges. It’s okay for your relationship with your mentor to shift as your goals and needs change. Express gratitude for your mentor’s help, stay in touch, and offer mentorship to anyone else who asks for your guidance.

Lastly, if you’re struggling to find a mentor, consider hiring a career coach instead. They’ll be able to offer you career guidance and can connect you with resources to gain the skills you’ll need to get to the next level.

Want more tips for reaching out?

In our next issue, we’ll offer some tips for building your professional network. In the meantime, check out these professional development courses:

Let us know how you’re growing in the comments, or if you’ve hit any roadblocks that we may be able to help clear up. We’ll be back in a couple weeks!