How Do People Get Mentors
And What You Need To Do To Get One Too
The main way through in which people acquire mentors is by reaching out directly to the persons who they want to mentor them. Ways in which to do this include approaching the person you want to mentor you physically, texting and calling them. Majority opt to do it face to face as it is easier and you can get feedback right there and then.
Whatever method you choose, if you are looking to get a mentor, the following steps can help increase the chances of a positive response from them;
- Find out as much as you can about the target person.
In this day and age, you can virtually find out everything you need to know about the person, thanks to the internet. This can be understanding what it is they do, what projects they are currently working on, what has been their recent achievements (and failures) and who are the people they associate with. Having this information about them gives you a great conversation starter, and it also shows that you have done your assignment about knowing who they are.
2. Are they the right fit for you?
Anybody can be your mentor, but not everybody can provide you with the right mentorship, or rather, the one that you need. This applies especially when you have multiple candidates. Which aspect of their lives or careers do you need to learn from? It would not make sense to be seeking a marketing analyst when you are looking for a coding mentorship as junior developer.
3. Mention one project or achievement that they have or are working on, and what aspects you admire in the role they play(ed) in it.
Mentors are also human, and they love it when they hear that what they do is notable. Of course, it is a huge plus for you because it makes you look interested and familiar with their work, and it gives you an avenue to ask whatever follow-up questions which they would be glad to answer.
4. Mention what it is you are doing and how you are doing it, and what you want to achieve.
When you are asking for mentorship, give your cause a context. Provide the details that will allow the person you need mentorship from to know you better. Do not go to say you are a student and that you need a mentor. For what? Nobody would agree to mentor you because the only thing you are promising is to waste their precious time. To put it better, say what you are doing as a student, and you can additionally tell why you are doing what you are doing.
5. Identify which area(s) of their experience, resources and expertise you hope to utilize…
..in what ways you will incorporate them in your journey and finally, give an idea of how access to those tools will accelerate your growth and assist you in achieving your objective. For instance, if you are a beginner developer who is hoping to landing a developer role in a company, then you might be probably be needing the following from your potential mentor: how to write better code, access to potential employers in the mentor’s network and tips on how to prepare interview, all of which you can do on your own to land a job but with the intervention of a mentor, all this can be achieved sooner than later. Ensure you bring out exactly what it is you need from them, and how it will help you in your plan.
The other way in which people acquire mentors is by those mentors actually reaching out to them, and asking to provide mentorship. Personally, that is how I acquired one of my mentors. I was just beginning my work in community, and when I met with the head of developer relations in Africa for the company, he asked if he could be part of my journey as a mentor and of course, I agreed. I am not sure how often this happens, but if your work is exemplary or situation is inspiring, you might get people who are willing to guide you along your path.
Finally, people acquire mentors through mentorship programs. I am an alumni of the KamiLimu Mentorship Program and as a result, the founders are by default mentors to me and all the other mentees who participated in the program. Until now, I can consult them on virtually anything because they made it clear to us that we should regard them as our mentors, and they would love to see us through journey. There are many similar programs springing up everywhere, and if you can join one, do so. This is the easiest way to get mentors and you would not have to bother with where to get your first mentors.
P.S: I answered this question on Quora
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