You're new to Product R&D. How can you find a mentor to help you navigate the field?

1 Identify your goals and needs

Before you start looking for a mentor, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and learn from the relationship. Do you want to improve your technical skills, such as coding, prototyping, or testing? Do you want to develop your soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, or creativity? Do you want to gain insights into the industry, the market, or the customers? Do you want to explore different career paths or opportunities in product R&D? Write down your specific goals and needs, and use them as a guide to narrow down your potential mentors.

2 Research your options

When you have a clear vision of your goals and needs, you can begin to research your options for finding a mentor. Your organization, network, community, or online platforms might be great sources for mentors. For instance, if you work in an R&D team or department, you could ask your manager or HR department if they have a mentoring program. You can also reach out to former colleagues, classmates, instructors, or friends in your network and ask them if they know anyone who can mentor you. Additionally, if you are part of any product R&D communities, such as forums or clubs, you can leverage them to find mentors. If these sources are not available to you, there are various online platforms like MentorCruise and Plato that offer mentor-mentee matching services. You can browse through their profiles and ratings to find the best mentor for your needs.

3 Reach out and build rapport

After you have identified one or more potential mentors, you need to reach out to them and initiate a conversation. You can use email, phone, or video call to contact them, depending on their preference and availability. To make a good impression and build rapport with your potential mentors, it's important to be respectful and professional in your tone and language when contacting them. You should also be specific and clear about your goals and needs, and focus on concrete and measurable objectives. Additionally, be curious and open when asking questions or requesting feedback, showing genuine interest in their background, experience, and perspective. Lastly, express your appreciation, gratitude, and willingness to improve instead of being defensive or argumentative.

4 Establish and maintain the relationship

If you have successfully reached out and built rapport with your potential mentors, you can proceed to establish and maintain the mentoring relationship. To do this, you should agree on the terms and expectations of the relationship, such as the frequency, duration, mode, and agenda of the sessions. You should also plan and prepare for the sessions in advance, setting clear and realistic goals and outcomes. During the sessions, you should communicate and collaborate based on the agreed agenda and objectives. Afterwards, follow up by reflecting on your progress, evaluating your performance, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and celebrating successes. Finally, thank your mentor for their time and support. Following these steps will help you find a suitable mentor for product R&D and build a fruitful mentoring relationship.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?