How To Approach Your First Career Mentor

Discover how to effectively approach your first career mentor and unlock the advantages of mentorship. Learn practical tips and strategies to build a meaningful relationship that fosters growth and long-term success. 

Lets dive in!

The old saying, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’ perfectly describes the value of mentorship in your career. 

While individual effort can lead to quick progress, the guidance, support, and shared wisdom that comes from mentorship relationships will help you achieve greater long-term success.

That’s why today, we’re helping you prepare to find your first mentor and showing you exactly how to approach one. 

What is a Career Mentor?

Ais someone who will help you set your career goals, advice on career decisions, and challenge you to think critically about your professional goals. This mentor will usually be in your industry, more experienced than you, and possibly holding your dream job or position. 

However, you can also have a mentor in a different industry who advises on general things such as negotiating your salary or building your confidence. In fact, it’s completely okay and actually a good thing to have more than one career mentor. 

Before you start looking for a mentor, recognize the why. 

Why are you interested in a mentor? For instance, do you want to advance in your career, find support for a new skill you’re learning, get a better understanding of your industry, or develop your soft skills? 

All these needs, although closely intertwined, are very different goals. And before you approach someone to advocate and support your career growth, you’ll need to have a clear understanding of which need you have to fulfil. 

Once you nail that goal, it will be easier to approach a mentor. 

Getting Your First Career Mentor

First, be completely okay with having your request turned down. Most people, you and me included, fail to pursue something because they are afraid of failure.

However, failure is inevitable in life, and you might get rejected the first time you reach out to someone you want as a mentor. 

If you’ve made your peace with rejection, read on to find exactly how you can approach your mentor. 

1. Create a list of people you admire

This can be a family member, a friend, someone from your company, or even someone you see and read about on famous blogs and TV. Pick 3-5 people who come to the top of the list and prepare to move to step two. 

2. Make your request small

Now, assuming you’ve found their contacts, email, text, or call them (depending on your level of familiarity with them) and invite them for a quick 20-minute coffee chat. 

If they live far away, a virtual meeting is also a good start.  

What exactly do you say when you contact them for the first time?

• Who you are
• Something you like or admire about them
• The exact reason why you’re reaching out
• The exact thing you need to learn from them

Here’s what that email would look like.

Hi Sarah,

My name is Jane, and I’m a junior social media manager at TechCRP. I’ve been following your work in social media marketing, especially your campaign for EcoFashion. It was really impressive how you exceeded industry benchmarks by 30%.

I’m eager to learn more about your strategies for building an engaged online community. Would it be possible to schedule a quick chat for 20 minutes or less sometime this month?

Thanks, Jane

Once you get a yes from Sarah, don’t make the call all about your career and your needs. 

Intentionally try to understand your mentor. 

What is Sarah’s favorite podcast, and how do they unwind? However,  don’t ask personal questions they would be uncomfortable answering. Stick to general things like hobbies, books, etc. 

3. Put in the work to form a connection

Of course, connection goes both ways. However, as a mentee, you have to show your mentor that you are seriously interested in their support. For example, show up on time, take the initiative to schedule meetings, and make it as seamless as possible for them to support you. 

Also, send them a thank you email a short time after your meeting to show appreciation for what you learned. This is also the perfect time to request whether you can follow up in the future. 

If they say yes, you can follow up a few more times. It would also help if you implement some of the advice they offer and let them know about it. 

Usually, if the person has agreed to two or three more meetings after the initial one, they are most likely interested in supporting you.

But don’t assume anything. 

Try as much as you can to ask directly whether they have the time and bandwidth in their lives to be your career mentor. 

4. Be helpful

Most people will not expect anything for helping you with your career. That said, it’s still a great idea to offer some kind of help to your career mentor. First, discuss with them and ask where they need help. Alternatively, if you’ve noticed something, communicate that you’d like to chip in if they want you to.

Here are a few things you can help your career mentor with. 

• Research
• New ideas 
• Administrative tasks
• Connecting them with someone or something they need
• Recommending a tool that could ease their work

Related: Top 6 In-demand Digital Careers in 2024

Final Thoughts on How To Approach Your First Career Mentor

Finding a career mentor is one of the best decisions you can make for your career. Fortunately, there’s someone out there who is willing to help you achieve your career goals. 

All you have to do is ask. 

More importantly, remember that mentorship is a two-way street. Be prepared to give as much as you receive. 

Do you currently have a mentor? If yes, how did you first approach them?