How to email a potential mentor

Don’t even think of using the phrase “pick your brain”

You. You’re a college senior. Or maybe you’re an early career go-getter. Or maybe you’re trying to learn a skill and break into a new industry. Bottom line is, you’re thirsty (in the best sense of the word), and you want to do everything you can to get ahead.

You scroll through Twitter and see people with gleaming accomplishments up and down your timeline. A quick click on their profile shows they’re a leading expert in X field or they’ve won Y award or they work at Z company. And you want that. So you find their email and dash off a note that looks something like this:

Subject line: Hello

Dear Professional Idol,

You don’t know me at all and I don’t know you, but I am a college student/professional in X and I want to get into your industry. Would you have time to grab coffee sometime so I could pick your brain on your career and how you got to where you are?

Thanks,

Connection made. This is how networking is done, right?

Wrong.

This person might respond to you. But chances are she’ll be at least a little bit annoyed.

What you have to remember is that this person is busy. Sure, they would probably love to help you out, but you have to make it easy for them.