Robin had Batman. Kid Flash had Flash. Hal Jordan had Kilowog (and he had Sinestro, but that’s really not the point.) The point is the greatest heroes always had someone behind them, guiding them, pointing them in the right direction.
Now, not during the regular school year is when you find a mentor. I’ve had various mentors throughout my college housing time and I’ve benefited deeply from them. Sometimes it’s a bit like dating, you want to find a connection, a person that takes an interest in you. But how do you do it? I mean, do you throw a dart?
Here are some tips and resources on how to go about finding a mentor.
Decide what you want: Are you looking for help in areas of programming or conduct? Policy creation or budget? Do you need a mentor that needs to encourage you to have some life balance? Choose two aspects you’d like to connect on.
Ask Around: Ask your colleagues, boss, and friends who they know that’s an expert in what you described. Don’t jump on the first name you hear—make a list.
Conferences: Head to conferences and meet as many people as you can (for those of you who aren’t the “networking brave” here’s a great book that helped me: Never Eat Alone. Take advantage of any networking opportunities and go to everything. One of the best ways I met people who I thought would make good mentors was to find out who was presenting on the very topic I needed help with. Go to their session and afterwards, we’d strike up a conversation—talk about the topic.
Just Say It: If you’ve met the person live, you might want to say: “I really appreciate what you’ve said, and I’m wondering if I could give you a call or send an email from time to time about (your topic).” I can guarantee you they will say “YES!”
If you haven’t met them, ask someone to refer you (hint: find them on facebook and then see what mutual friends you have and then ask them to refer you. It’s pretty stalkerish, but Batman would be proud.) Then just send a quick note:
Dear Alex,
I’m a mutual friend with (your friend’s name) and I hear your an expert in (such and such). I was wondering if you’d have time for a 10 minute phone call to discuss it. I hope that (this time) works for you. If not, I’m sure we can work something out.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Keep in contact with your mentor about once a month and when you see them at the next conference, give them a little handwritten note (bottle of wine, what?) thanking them. Oh, they have a job opening? What? Crazy, right?
Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips.
Next up: Getting all Justice League: Knowing your campus.
