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How do I go about seeking mentors as a young professional?

I'm a young professional who entered the workforce a little before the beginning of the 2020 pandemic. Having worked remotely for a little more than a year now, I realized I haven't developed much face-to-face professional relationships with those with more experience under their belts. #career-counseling #mentors #

How do I go about seeking mentors now that most professionals now are working remotely?

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Frank’s Answer

Hi Jimmy

I do a fair amount of mentoring so here are some thoughts based on my experience:
*Make a list of people you admire/respect that you think can provide value to you in a mentoring relationship
* Make a list of the topics you want to talk to your mentor about; share them with him/her early
*Be upfront and clear with your mentor about your willingness to listen to feedback and your goals/objectives
*Find someone you believe you can establish a relationship of trust/confidentiality
* If the mentor you choose is in your company, find someone outside of your performance review chain so candor will be easier
* Make sure you and your mentor are invested/committed to this relationship
*Establish the frequency and timing of your meetings
*Establish a length of time and end date for the engagement
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Sophie’s Answer

Firstly it is important to spend some time thinking about what you want out of your mentorship and areas that you would like to concentrate on for development. Once you have these identified there may be numerous avenues you can explore. Suggest speaking with your line manager with the outline of the key areas you would like a mentor to help you build out and your line manager may be able to suggest the best people for you to reach out to within your organization or possibly even external mentors. Even your manager themselves could be a great resource to ensure that you are supported in your development, especially if you already have a good idea of key areas of focus for yourself. In a world of remote working, face to face meetings on a virtual platform can be very productive.

Another avenue would be with your HR team who may be able to direct you to any available employee resource groups as there may be mentorship programs already set up that you can join. Your direct team members can also be great resources in terms of directing you to potential mentors or even agreeing to be your mentor as I am sure they would have valuable experience to share.
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Brooke’s Answer

Decide what areas of your professional development you want to concentrate on, or an area of interest that you would like to move your career in. Based on that, meet with your Manager first to let them know what you are interested in, and your interest in getting a mentor. He/She will hopefully point you to meet with people, and then every person you meet, ask who else they would recommend you meet with to continue to build your network. In my experience, you will naturally gravitate and have fluid conversations with people. Of those interactions, pick someone who challenges you, and help you get to the level you aspire to be and ask if they would formally be your mentor. Also, if they are in the same general area as you, and you are comfortable, ask for coffee or lunch with them!

Lastly, depending on your organization, they will have Employee Resource Groups, volunteer teams, or culture events that you can participate in and that will help connect you with like minded/similar interests and you will build connections/mentors from that.

Brooke recommends the following next steps:

Meet with your Manager to let them know areas of interest for career/mentor
Meet with 1 person, and ask for someone new to meet with after each interaction
Aim for 1 new meeting/ 1:1 per week to help build your network
Ask the person that you relate to/ get the most out of the conversation to formally be your mentor.
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Priscilla’s Answer

First, think about what do you want to achieve with the mentoring, and actually make a list. Then, look for people that excel in the areas/skills you want to cover. Next, reach out! Don’t be afraid of cold calling a person, but be mindful and respectful of their time.
Good luck!!
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Deanna’s Answer

Hi Jimmy--I would encourage you to join professional organizations in your respective industry/field of practice. Those organizations often host both virtual and F2F events where you can network with folks further along in their careers, but who are in the same industry as you. As far as how to cultivate a mentorship relationship or to get advice from those at a later career stage than you--in my experience, the best such networking relationships come about organically when the mentee is authentic and proactive and it seems like a mutually good fit between mentor and mentee. Also, keep in mind that mentorship is different from sponsorship. For me, mentorship means someone that wants general career advice, and it is understood that there is no expectation or ask from the mentee for a job. There is also no expectation that the mentor will "sponsor" the mentee--sponsorship is where the sponsor uses some of his/her/their political capital at work to vouch for or advance the sponsored individual. I think being clear about seeking pure mentorship will help mentors feel more comfortable establishing the networking relationship. Good luck and great question!
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Diana’s Answer

Hi Jimmy, this is a great question. Are you looking for mentors within your current place of employment, or mentors from outside your organization? If you're looking for a mentor from work, I would recommend reaching out to your manager and sharing your interest in finding a mentor. They may have suggestions and be able to introduce you to someone. Outside of your workplace, there are many different organizations online that help connect mentees to mentors and they are always looking for more people to sign up and match.
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