Finding Mentors at Work/School

I've never asked anyone to be my mentor. However, I have some amazing mentors. Here's how 3 people became my mentors (even though we never formally talked about it).

Mentor #1 (at school): "Susie" was my professor. She was really hard on the class. One might think she was mean. But, I could tell she meant well and had good information. So I would visit her, sometimes, just to talk and get school/career advice. Over time our relationship developed. She told me about job opportunities/scholarships, went to bat for me when I faced difficulty with another professor and wrote me glowing recommendation letters. She's STILL my mentor.

Mentor #2 (at work): "David" was a manager (but not mine). He was friendly when I started work, but not overly friendly. During meetings, he said stuff that made sense and, I could tell, people liked him. I would occasionally talk to him about work challenges and he would listen. A few times, I made some big mistakes that I could have been fired for. David let me know I was messing up big time, but he also advised me how to improve. I took his words to heart (even when my feelings were hurt) and did as he suggested. He's STILL my mentor.

Mentor #3 (online): "Tina" and I were in the same bodybuilding online group. Through online interactions, we became friendly. We started talking/texting offline and shared work experiences. Tina is one of my go-to people for career-related advice and support. She's STILL my mentor.

Everyone's experiences are different. But, one way to find mentors is to show interest in the people you want to be a mentor (ask about their work, their life, demonstrate what you're doing with your life, etc.). Then, they may be more likely to mentor you.