Tips for identifying potential mentors
How should you approach finding a mentor — and how do you know if someone is a good match for you?
Ask your HR team if they have a mentorship program.
First, ask your employer what mentorship opportunities they provide.
Your employer may have a formal mentorship program as part of their career growth strategy for employees.
In that case, they may match you with a mentor — likely a more experienced employee.
If they do not, look to your network instead.
However, if your organization doesn’t have such a program, you can identify a potential mentor by looking at your professional network.
Consider prior or current managers or people you’ve met at networking events.
If no one in your network seems like a good fit, think about people you respect who are further along than you in your field, whether at your company or a different one.
You can find people in your industry by:
Browsing LinkedIn and other networking platforms
Looking up speakers at industry conferences
Joining professional organizations
What qualities should a professional mentor have?
When looking for a mentor, make sure the person has the right experience and expertise and that they’re willing to mentor you. Let’s explore these three qualities further.
1. Mentors should have relevant experience.
Before asking someone to mentor you, see if their career experience is relevant to your goals.
For example, suppose you’re a junior recruiter and your goal is to eventually become an HR executive.
In that case, you might look for a mentor with experience managing recruiters and trainers, administering companywide benefit programs, and maintaining a positive workplace culture.
2. Mentors should have applicable expertise.
Experience can lead to expertise — but not always.
Avoid choosing a mentor simply because they’ve worked in your industry for years.
Your mentor should have the skills you’d like to grow in or the knowledge to help you advance in your career. This means they understand your industry and know the best practices for career growth in your field.
To find someone with the right expertise, look for people who are successful in your field or have successfully mentored others in your industry.
Your mentor should have the skills you’d like to grow in or the knowledge to help you advance in your career.
3. Mentors should have availability and willingness.
Once you find someone with the right experience and expertise, you’ll need to ask if they’re willing and available to mentor you.
After all, mentorship is an investment of time and energy, so it’s important to find someone who’s committed to helping you succeed and has room in their schedule to mentor you.
How to use online mentorship platforms
Your employer might use a platform to pair mentors and mentees within the company. Some examples of these platforms are:
If not, you can use individual mentorship platforms, such as:
You can also research mentorship platforms that serve your specific industry.
Many online platforms allow you to search for potential mentors based on your:
Once you find a potential mentor, you can set up an introductory call to make sure you’re a good match.
From there, you can typically schedule meetings within the platform and keep track of your progress.
Remember: Most mentorship platforms charge for their services. Make sure to research pricing before signing up with any platform.
How to reach out and begin a mentorship step-by-step
How you reach out to a potential mentor can set the tone for the rest of the relationship. Keep the following tips in mind when asking someone to mentor you.
Step #1: Reach out respectfully
When approaching a potential mentor, remember that you’re asking them to invest a significant amount of time and attention. Acknowledging this and showing gratitude can help pave the way for a successful relationship.
Whether you’re asking them over the phone, via email, or in person, explain why you’re interested in a mentorship relationship with them. Share what you admire about their experience and accomplishments in your field.
Be clear yet flexible about what you hope the mentorship will look like.
How much time will they need to commit, and how long would you like the mentorship to last?
Finally, close by thanking them for their time and consideration.
If the person agrees to mentor you, thank them again and express your excitement for learning from them.
Step #2: Establish rapport by expressing interest (and actively listening)
A productive mentorship begins with establishing rapport and building trust.
This includes expressing interest in their career and insights and truly listening when they share their perspective and personal experiences. You can demonstrate active listening by nodding while they’re speaking and asking thoughtful follow-up questions.
If they ask how you’d like to grow, be honest about:
Your strengths
Your weaknesses
Your career aspirations.
Share your specific goals and what you hope to learn from them — and express your deep-felt gratitude that they’re willing to take the time to help you get there.
Step #3: Nurture the relationship by bringing your A-game to every meeting
As the relationship progresses, continue demonstrating that you appreciate your mentor’s support and value their time. Here are three ways to do this:
1. Come to your meetings prepared. Before a meeting, reflect on questions you have, how you’d like to grow, and places where you feel stuck.
2. Actively participate in the meetings. Instead of listening passively, engage in the conversation with follow-up questions and ask for clarification when you need it.
3. Be willing to take action. Be proactive when your mentor offers advice. If they recommend something — such as signing up for a program, reading an article, or reaching out to someone — try to follow through before your next meeting. This demonstrates that you value their input and are eager to grow.
