You want to learn from the best in your field. How can you connect with potential mentors?

Connect with potential mentors (Leaders in the field) through social media or professional platforms like LinkedIn. Personalize your connection request or message, expressing your genuine interest in their work and/or contribution in the field and explaining why you're interested in connecting. Highlight common interests or goals to establish rapport. In the past year, I have leveraged LinkedIn to connect with great minds.

You need to be very specific with your career interests when looking for mentors. Some factors to consider, in no particular order: 1. The industry you're targeting - most industries are very broad and have many functions within them. Do you know EXACTLY what part of the industry you want to be in, and most importantly, WHY? If not, you need to further refine this. Do enough informal research to be well-informed--this is critical. 2. Your unique value proposition - What makes you unique as a candidate? Some of this may have to do with something unique in your background, your education, or a particular passion or expertise that you have. If you can identify this and clearly articulate this, then mentors can relate to you

I believe we should take a less structured approach to the one advised here. Networking and opportunities arise from all situations and by trying to put in a formal procedure, means that we end up reducing our chances of seeing opportunities outside of these areas. Here are my top tips: 1) Who do you hear of the most in your industry - that you feel you aspire to? 2) What networking groups could you join to give you better exposure to these individuals? 3) Who do you know in your current network who could recommend a great mentor for you? By asking your clients or candidates for referrals, you will feel like the individual is closer to you than others in the wider network.

Make sure you know enough about their background to make the connection to why this person should help you. It has to make sense from their end. Ideally, you will have a similar career trajectory to your potential mentor, and if you are really lucky, they will see themselves in you. I've found that all of my great mentor/mentee relationships have this quality. In a way, quite a lot of the actual "mentorship" is simply the mentor telling you what they wish they would have known earlier in their career; so in a sense, the mentor is talking to an earlier version of themselves. Use this to your advantage!

You hit the target you aim for. So before reaching out to potential mentors, it’s important that you research their backgrounds and current interests. This allows you to target your outreach to those whose expertise aligns with my goals. Understanding their past and present work will help spark more meaningful conversations and develop rapport. You can reference projects or initiatives they’ve been involved in to show my interest is genuine. Researching also helps you articulate how their specific skills and experiences can help you. Taking time to understand your prospects’ perspectives demonstrates your respect for their time and talents.

Aim to add value, not just ask for favors. Offering to share an insightful article, introducing them to someone who shares their passion project, or volunteering your skills are all ways you can initiate a relationship without demanding their time. If appropriate, you may ask for a short informational interview to learn about their career insights. However, your outreach will focus on how you can be helpful to their work first, rather than leading with requests. Your should keep in mind that mentors want to see your potential before investing their limited time and energy. By approaching mentors with the aim of contributing first, your are more likely to turn initial outreach into meaningful long-term partnerships.

If you can give a SPECIFIC insight as to one of their career interests (that you are also interested in!), or give some thoughtful feedback on one of their recent posts on the platform, you will be far ahead of the competition. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Reaching out with a cold message can be challenging, but it's a bit "warmer" if you can either give value to the potential mentor, or show the potential mentor that they've already given value to you.

Una vez que tengas identicadas a las personas con las que quieres conectar investiga que es lo que les importa o que es lo que ellos quieren, ya sea en fondo o en forma la intención es llegar sumando, el que llega poniendo sobre la mesa primero, llega mas fuerte, hacer dos favores antes de pedir uno, buscar una relación a largo plazo, recuerda que lo que realmente vale la pena se construye en el mediano y largo plazo.

Making a good first impression is a must in all situations. I think if you can research your mentors accomplishments it will give you a clear understanding of that relationship.

Follow up is EVERYTHING!! This is where 90% of people fall off. If you don't have follow through and follow up, you have nothing. Another key here is to actually APPLY what the mentor tells you and show that you have benefitted from it. Anyone who spends their time and energy on helping someone wants to know that it was indeed a good use of time. Simple framework: "Hi ____! So I took your advice and did xyz, and here's how it turned out: [insert results here]. I'd love to stay in touch if that's okay with you."

Elabora un excel con los nombres de tus conexiones (10 principales, 50 importantes y 100 fundamentales) y haz presencia diario, semanal o quincenal según corresponda, puede ser desde un mensaje de buenos días, una nota de voz, algún artículo que consideres sea de su interés, dejar tu comentario en alguna red social, compartir su contenido, subir en tus historias su contenido etiquetándolo o hasta un meme gracioso de algo le guste, claro esto último es cuando ya existe confianza en la relación y existe una amistad, pero sobre todo y lo más importante es que te intereses genuinamente en ellos y no solo por querer sacar provecho.

Lo que realmente vale la pena se construye en el mediano y largo plazo, trabaja la relación a largo plazo y gánate su amistad, regálatelos de amigos interesándote genuinamente por ellos.

The Ego is a wonderful thing - most people love to be asked for their expertise and opinions, it makes them feel valued and important. By explaining to a potential mentor why you would value their support and that you are impressed by their achievements, you can increase their interest in helping you. However, you must be genuine in your praise. Also, remember that not everyone is comfortable with compliments, so don't over do it. Keep it short, and fact based e.g. 'I was really impressed with the thought leadership piece you wrote and I think I could really benefit from your level of expertise.'

Strategically target potential mentors - People tend to help people who are very similar to them. The more similarities you have with a particular mentor, the better. Look for potential mentors with similar backgrounds to yours. Other great avenues to leverage include volunteer/non-profit work and other community organizations where seasoned professionals may spend their time. As this will be very industry specific, you need to be very intentional with this.

Connecting with potential mentors in your field involves proactive networking and genuine engagement. Attend industry events, workshops, or conferences where you can meet experienced professionals. Utilize professional networking platforms like LinkedIn to identify and reach out to potential mentors. Craft personalized and compelling messages expressing your admiration for their work and explaining why you seek their guidance. Be respectful of their time and open to the possibility of reciprocal learning. Building a sincere and authentic connection forms the foundation for a successful mentorship relationship.