Seeking Mentorship: Finding a Mentor
To a lot of people just starting their journey into tech, they need a mentor to guide them. It is okay to want someone to guide you, but it’s also important you understand that mentoring does not equal teaching. Also, it takes a lot of time and mental resources from both parties — Mentor, Mentee.
Mentorship is just like love; it can be found anywhere but with someone who’s ready to put in the energy required. This is why it’s important to understand how people feel when they turn down your request for mentorship. Just like some people aren’t ready for love, some people aren’t ready to be mentors and it’s important to respect their decisions.
Some people might be ready but they have certain qualities to keep an eye out for, and they wait to find people who possess these qualities. This is done because mentorship requires investment of time, knowledge, skills, experience, energy, and resources. Mentors want to have mentees that are prove to be ready to learn and as serious as they want.
If you are in search of a mentor, you are not alone. There are many beginners on the lookout for mentors in every field. So, one thing you should always ask yourself before approaching a mentor is “How do I standout?”
While standing out is one thing, your method of approach is another. There are different approaches that can be taken to finding a mentor who’s right for you. Here are few tips;
1. Follow and support their work:
When you are supportive to people, it means so much to them. It’s a great way to get them to notice you and know that you can be of value to them as well. When you find a person you admire enough to be a mentor, make sure to support their work. Share their blogs, drop comments on their posts, refer them to opportunities, share their tweets and the list goes on.
2. Develop friendly relationships with people:
Honestly, the best mentors are your friends. Learning is easier on both parties when there is friendly relationship. Even if the person you admire isn’t your friend, you should try to hold conversations with them to develop a friendly relationship. When you build a friendship with someone you look up to, it becomes easier for you both to have conservations concerning your growth and learning path. It’s also easier for you to ask questions as you have direct access to them. However, it might not work every-time because not everyone is open to having new friendships all the time. In this case, you can reach out from time-to-time.
3. Ask for help without asking for mentorship:
Low-key, this is one of the best approaches to finding a mentor because it reduces the tension and pressure between you and the mentor. It also makes learning and communication feel less like work and more of regular conversations. So, when you have issues with some part of a project you’re working on, reach out to people you see are experienced in that field and ask questions.
4. Learn in public:
This is very common on twitter. Many people share their learning experiences and in the process get feedback from people with more experience. This is a great way to find a mentor because you probably would learn more than you expected and from different people and methods.
5. Never stop networking:
Networking is very important in the tech industry. It makes it easier for you to find gigs, mentorships, internships and even jobs. There are different ways to network with people; social media groups, hackathons, communities, discord channels, etc. When you participate in these, it’s easy to meet people with more experience and communication is easier because you have common ground.
6. Shoot your shots in their dm or mail:
This is probably the first thing that comes to mind as it is the traditional way of approaching mentors. If you decide to do this, you have to make sure you state your goals, your skills and level of expertise, why and how you need mentorship. This helps your mentor make a decision. However, you have to always remember to respect their decision if your request is turned down.
Conclusion
Before you find a mentor, it is important to understand who mentor is and isn’t, so you don’t have the wrong expectations. Your mentor should be someone you want to be like. Dear reader, find that person who’s already or near where you want to be in a few years, choose your approach method, reach out and get mentored.
I hope this article helps your search for a mentor. To learn more on seeking mentorships, check out How to be a good mentee.
