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Are you looking for a mentor?

Are you looking for a mentor?

An alternative way to getting mentors and 3 things you can start today

Giammarco Pacifico
September 11, 2024

If you’re reading this newsletter you’re probably a young ambitious professional, studying or working in the health/bio industry.

You probably dream of some big achievement, like becoming an executive at a successful company, a tenured professor or launching your startup.

In other words, you want to become great at what you do.

Even if you’re just beginning such a journey, you’ve probably already realised you can’t do it alone and need help.

But who can help you? And how?

If you’re asking yourself these questions, you’re not alone, and this article will give you a few ideas for getting a support team.

The first place where people hope to get mentors and coaches is within the company they are working at.

The harsh truth is that managers and leaders are too busy to give you the attention you need to grow and most of these interactions revolve around quarterly and annual goals.

On the other hand, you’ve heard of executive coaching tailored to senior professionals who are in a very different situation than you (and can pay expensive coaches).

Earlier in my career, I used to wait for the perfect mentor. A senior person who would pick me among everyone else and help me succeed. That way, I’d be set.

Even worse, during my last year of university, I started “chasing mentors”, signing up for every program my university would offer. Needless to say, I ended up with forced relationships where I asked tons of questions without contributing as much. They all ended up in the dust.

Instead, I learned this is the most important thing you can start doing today:

Become someone worth mentoring

This might sound obvious to some of you but it must be said nonetheless: people tend to gravitate around others who are driven, knowledgeable and willing to get their hands dirty.

This is true for everyone, including mentors.

Once people see you as someone working on interesting projects, trying new things or even just having a different view on some topics, they will seek you out.

I’ve learned the hard way that the easiest way to get mentors is to work on cool things. I’m sure it will work for you too.

Now on to the tactical stuff:

#1 Join a community

Instead of spending thousands of euros on an expensive coach, look for communities in your field. Most of them are free but even the paid ones are usually <€50/month.

The caveat with these communities is that they are like a buffet: the more you get in the more you get out.

This means you have to block time to actively engage with other members, attend events and regularly contribute without anyone nudging you.

It’s a long-term investment so you shouldn’t start with the expectation of seeing immediate results, otherwise your chances of dropping out will skyrocket.

#2 Self-guided learning

Once you’ve identified a specific area you want to improve on, look for short courses or lessons to fill that gap. Most courses, even the ones on demand, come with groups of current/former participants who interact within the same platform so take advantage of that too.

There are countless of these on well-known platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, SkillShare and YouTube.

Again, the hard part is sticking to it. So try to take these courses with a colleague or friend going through a similar journey or make yourself accountable to someone you admire. I assure you this will help you complete it.

#3 Create coaching opportunities

The easiest way to find a mentor is to look for someone a few steps ahead of you.

Looking for a millionaire CEO when you’re just finishing your PhD is probably a bit unrealistic. Instead, focus on someone who was in your situation not long ago: maybe they had your same job before a promotion or before they shifted to another company.

These people are very aware of your challenges and wouldn’t mind sharing their experiences now that they are on the other side.

Likewise, supporting people who are a few steps before you is a great way to improve your leadership/mentoring skills and learn what it means to be on the other side. Also, giving first is one easy way to increase your luck.

Most of these organic opportunities will look like casual hangouts between people who share something in common. It’s up to you to decide if and how to turn them into something more.

Before doing that, start by being very clear about what you’re trying to get help with. No mentor can help you with everything so make sure you ask the right questions to the right people:

Are you looking for career advice during a transition?
Do you want to improve a specific skill?
Are you looking for a role model? Someone you aspire to become?
Do you need advice to get a promotion or level up within your company?

Meeting interesting people has become easier (especially after following the points above) but how do you turn a stranger into a mentor?

Here is a simple way that worked for me:

Be genuinely curious and ask questions during the meeting
Take note of any advice or suggestions they give you
Act on what you discussed. Then get back to them sharing what you did, what worked or didn’t
Stay in touch by asking them how their work/hobbies are going
If the relationship is growing strong, they’ll do the same

Finally, I know this can sound daunting and you might already worry about the huge amount of time required but I urge you not to put this aside.

It will take time but there is no other way because nobody can do it alone.

If you enjoyed this issue, share it with someone looking for mentors!

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