Making Connections and Seeking Perspectives: Finding Your Perfect Mentor
new year, new perspectives
At the beginning of a new year, we often look forward to the next 12 months and consider our long-term goals. For most of us, and especially first generation professionals, part of this planning includes finding mentors to assist us in the achievement of these goals by sharing perspectives, advice, answering specific situation-based questions, and generally providing encouragement. In this Article, we discuss how to find the best mentor for you.
Determine Your Objectives for the Mentorship
Before you can find an effective and sustainable mentorship, you need to figure out your goals for the connection. Start by thinking about your overall professional goals: how can this person help you get there?
Decide exactly what it is you need mentoring before you start thinking of the ideal person to work with. A successful financial executive probably isn't a good mentor for building and executing a great marketing strategy. If you don't have an objective, you won't know when you arrive. (1).
Other considerations and questions to help you choose a mentor:
Number of years in your career (and number of years the potential mentor has been in theirs)
Area of expertise (and any accolades in that space)
Industry
Your career goals and aspirations (and how they have demonstrated success in the same or similar goals)
Personal background and personality fit
Now that I know what I want, where do I find a mentor?
Actually finding the mentor can be challenging; you might even meet with a few mentors before you find a good connection. You can also participate in multiple mentorships (or consider building a personal Board of Directors of many different types of influences). To start, you can reach out to members of your existing network on LinkedIn to see if they have 30 minutes to meet with you. You can also rifle through that stack of business cards you have been collecting from networking events. Finally, leverage membership in professional organizations (student membership is usually free) or your school’s alumni network. Remember: now that virtual meetings are more common, feel free to expand your geographic search.
Check out this introduction template from Harvard Business Review:
Dear X,
I’ve been reading about the work you’re doing with Y. I’m interested in building my career in technology and I’d love to hear how you rose from a systems analyst to a technical product manager in five years. Would it be possible for us to have a quick video chat sometime within the next couple of weeks?
As a general rule, the mentee helms the relationship and the discussion
The best mentorships are those that benefit both the mentor and the mentee, but not the same ways. The mentee’s goal is to receive valuable advice for their specific situation; the mentor’s goal is to provide meaningful feedback that will actually assist their mentee. When the mentee leads the connection cadence, discussion topics, and follow throughs, the conversation stays focused on their needs, which allows the mentor to provide the most accurate, specific advice.
Other ways to engage the mentorship connection:
Mentees: Keep your mentor informed and updated ; Mentors: Stay engaged and accountable
Mentees: Offer to assist them ; Mentors: Share your networks
Both: Express gratitude for each other’s time
Leadership is following up
As you are meeting with potential mentors, you should always follow up by sending a short thank you email. If the mentor provided valuable advice, definitely mention your points of connection. If the mentor provided action items, let them know how you implemented their ideas. (2).
There may also be a time where you need to respectfully and decisively end the mentorship relationship. Do not ghost your mentor! Simply send a brief email thanking them for their time, noting one or two things with which they assisted you, and keep the door open for future connection (if appropriate - if the relationship has soured, feel free to protect your professional peace).
Remember: YOU are the lead of your mentorships. Feel empowered to ask tough questions and seek the actionable advice that works best for you.
Citations
Herrity, Jennifer. “How To Find a Mentor in 8 Steps (Plus Mentorship Tips).” Indeed, 3 Feb. 2023, www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-find-a-mentor.
Phan, Janet T. “What’s the Right Way to Find a Mentor?” Harvard Business Review, 10 Mar. 2021, hbr.org/2021/03/whats-the-right-way-to-find-a-mentor.
Zwilling, Martin. “7 Keys to Finding the Right Mentor to Accelerate Your Business Career.” Inc.Com, 23 Jan. 2024, www.inc.com/martin-zwilling/7-keys-to-finding-right-mentor-to-accelerate-your-business-career.html.
More Posts You May Like
