Finding mentors and allies for your career can be a powerful way to boost your skills, expand your network, and achieve your goals. But how do you identify and connect with the right people who can support you and help you grow? In this article, we'll share some tips on how to find mentors and allies for your career, and how to build and maintain strong relationships with them.
Before you start looking for mentors and allies, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to learn, improve, or achieve in your career. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your short-term and long-term objectives? What are the skills, knowledge, or experiences that you need to develop or acquire? By defining your needs, you can narrow down your search and focus on the people who can offer you the most relevant and valuable guidance and support.
You should also take into consideration the time that you have to dedicate to meeting with your mentor and growing that relationship. If you cannot commit to meeting with your mentor on a regular basis, then this is not the time to pursue a mentor-mentee relationship.
Once you have defined your needs, you can start identifying potential mentors and allies who can help you meet them. You can look for them within your current or previous organizations, your professional associations, your alumni networks, your online communities, or your personal contacts. You can also use platforms like LinkedIn, MentorCruise, or Shapr to find and connect with people who share your interests, goals, or challenges. When you identify potential mentors and allies, look for people who have the expertise, experience, or influence that you aspire to have, who have a positive reputation and a track record of success, and who are willing and able to mentor or support you.
After you have identified potential mentors and allies, you need to reach out and connect with them. You can send them a personalized message, an email, or a request on a platform where they are active. In your message, introduce yourself briefly, explain why you are interested in connecting with them, and ask for their permission to chat with them further. You can also mention something that you admire or appreciate about them, such as their work, their achievements, or their contributions. Be respectful, polite, and concise, and avoid asking for too much too soon. You want to build rapport and trust before you ask for their advice, feedback, or assistance.
Cold reach outs are tough and, frequently, uncomfortable for both parties. Here are a few ideas on how to make this process friendlier and more effective: ? Before going “all in” and sending a connection request with a long In mail: - Start following them - Interact with their posts by commenting and collaborating with their content - Re-share one of their posts that you find especially insightful ? If you have common connections, ask for an introduction; ? Check if their inbox is open - send a quick hello before connecting (and wait for a response) ? When you connect, don’t go straight for the blood. Test the water “are you open to networking and talking about X?” When you perceive willingness, be clear about what’s your goal. Ask!
If you get a positive response from your potential mentors and allies, you can proceed to establish expectations and goals for your relationship. You can discuss how often and how long you want to communicate, what mode of communication you prefer, what topics or issues you want to focus on, and what outcomes or results you want to achieve. You can also agree on some ground rules, such as confidentiality, honesty, respect, and feedback. By establishing expectations and goals , you can ensure that both parties are on the same page and have a clear direction and purpose for your relationship.
Once you have established expectations and goals, you need to nurture and maintain your relationship with your mentors and allies. You can do this by following through on your commitments, showing up on time and prepared for your meetings, asking thoughtful questions and listening actively to their answers, applying their advice and feedback and sharing your progress and results, expressing your gratitude and appreciation, and offering your support and help in return. You can also keep in touch with them regularly, update them on your achievements and challenges, and celebrate your successes and milestones. By nurturing and maintaining your relationship, you can show your respect, interest, and value for your mentors and allies, and strengthen your bond and trust with them.
Finally, you can expand and diversify your network by finding more mentors and allies for different aspects of your career. You can look for people who can help you with different skills, areas, or stages of your career, who can expose you to different perspectives, opportunities, or resources, or who can introduce you to other people who can benefit you or vice versa. You can also seek out mentors and allies from different backgrounds, industries, or sectors, who can enrich your knowledge, understanding, and diversity. By expanding and diversifying your network, you can enhance your career development, growth, and satisfaction.
Expanding and strengthening your network is good no matter what goals you have. Plus, sometimes mentors can be colleagues at your same level who have different perspectives or can be unofficial relationships, more like masterminds.