Ever wondered how to find a mentor?
If you are looking to set yourself up for success in your industry, consider getting a mentor while in college. Mentors can become your helping hand when trying to move up in your career. Mentorship can provide invaluable advice and connections, and even sometimes great friendship!
Although it seems that most everyone knows how important mentors are, I find a lot of college students skipping out on them. I understand how busy college life can be, (I am a sophomore myself), but I truly believe that the extra time + work mentors demand are worth it.
Find out 3 different ways to find your next possible mentor!
How to Find a Mentor
1. Research + Cold-calling
My biggest mentor in my career so far resulted from a cold-call (or cold-email?) But really.
It may sound intimidating, but as long as you do your research on the person you want to get in contact with, things should be fine.
I found the person I wanted to be my mentor by just doing a Google search of the best public relations people in my area. I then found the person’s email and wrote a well-developed email to explain my background + why I wanted to have them as a mentor.
Sometimes people look at a mentorship as being a short meeting once a week. Or maybe a coffee date once a month. A Skype call. An unpaid internship.
The possibilities aren’t really what matters here, but rather the value that you take away from meeting with someone who has extensive experience in your desired career path.
2. Alumni Networks
My school has an online portal for current students to connect with past alumni online. It’s similar to LinkedIn, but it is completely exclusive for people that are legitimate students of that university. Alumni’s contact information is given out freely in alumni networks, and alumni are usually extremely willing to lend a helping hand to someone from their favorite school 😉
When reaching out to someone in an alumni network, make sure to note that you are a current student and looking to expand your network. Let them know that you appreciate their time, and are willing to accommodate your schedule to meet when it best works for them!
3. LinkedIn
If your school doesn’t offer you access to an alumni network, LinkedIn should become your new best friend. LinkedIn is an essential tool in the career world, and the opportunities for making connections and finding jobs are endless.
LinkedIn should become your new best friend. Click To TweetUse the LinkedIn search bar at the top of the website to search for professionals in your desired job or industry. You can even narrow your search to look for people in a certain area or city, (which is important if you are planning on meeting in person.)
You can also find potential mentors in different LinkedIn groups. Search for a keyword like “graphic designer” or “architect” in the search bar, and then select Groups from the filters. Ask to join some groups that look interesting to you, and once you are accepted, start interacting with the group. Find people that stand out to you as experts and interesting people in your field. You can then further pursue a relationship with those people, and eventually, ask if they are open to mentorship.
Have any other tips on how to find a mentor? Share your experiences + best tips for landing one in the comments!
