There’s no doubt: Building a relationship with the right mentor can be the key to a successful career in IT. Beyond the intangible benefits – which can include an expanded network, access to great advice and inspiration – recent statistics show that that professionals with a mentor will earn more money throughout their career.
That’s why today, we’re offering some tips, strategies and insights on how to find the right mentor to build those critical professional relationships. Here at Market Street Talent, we excel at understanding the needs of clients in the IT industry. Our experience has provided us with some insights that we’d like to share with like-minded IT professionals about how to build a network – starting with a great mentor.
First, you’re more likely to find the right mentor by making a list of people you respect professionally. Can you name at least three people you admire? They can be people you know, part of your extended network, or even people you know of but haven’t met personally. You absolutely are looking for someone in your field, but it’s even better if you can find a person with a similar career trajectory or someone you’d like to emulate.
Finding someone with exceptional accomplishments or a proven track record in your field is especially important if you’re a newly minted professional at the beginning of your career. The right mentor will help you navigate the tricky road to find your best career path and trajectory for success. Try looking for a person who’s made great decisions, accomplished something that you respect, or is just in the area of expertise that you want to be.
If you’re an already accomplished, established professional, don’t discount what a mentor might have to teach you. For example, if you’re returning to IT after some time away to work on outside projects, or have recently switched careers and are beginning your professional life in another field, look for someone who’s had a similar experience and try to discover how they made it work. Your mentor will have valuable insights to share, and your commonalities will make the relationship richer.
No matter what your situation, it also doesn’t hurt to find someone you like on a personal level. After thinking about all of the above, if you still don’t have any ideas about people you’d like to meet, do a little research. Try looking at the team pages of organizations you’d like to be a part of, or that you recognize as leaders in your field. Or, ask around to find out who your peers and colleagues admire. Then, after you’ve made a list of people you’d like to work alongside, it’s time to reach out and see if you can make a connection.
It’s possible to find your mentor in a few different ways. The simplest, most low commitment option is to try looking for a mentor online. You might try sending an email, or you can search out and “follow” potential mentors on social media.
If you try this approach, you don’t have to go overboard to get an effective results. Start with some low risk engagement – think of it as though you’re making small talk at a meeting. It never hurts to leave a thoughtful comment on a post, re-tweet an interesting article, or share a link to express support. If the person seems receptive, try sending a brief ‘Hello’ message with a concise personal introduction.
Great places to start include Linkedin, Twitter, Google+ or a specialty online forum such as Levo League. Once you’ve established a connection and built a rapport, it’s okay to ask quick questions and reach out. Technology such as Skype and instant messaging will make it easy to continue the relationship if that’s the direction you want to take.
You’ll know right away if your potential mentor is interested in continuing the relationship. Remember, if you don’t form some kind of personal connection, the bond won’t progress very far. This is a professional relationship, but you’ll be more successful if there’s also a basis for a genuine friendship. If you’re worried about making a real connection, you can also go the old fashioned route and try meeting people in person. (It doesn’t hurt to set up face-to-face meetings with people you’ve connected with online, either.)
To meet potential mentors in-person, try looking for tech Meetups in your city. You might also attend industry conferences, or reconnect with professional alumni associations at your alma mater university. It each of these cases, try to strike up a conversation and ask for recommendations and ideas. Sometimes, talking to strangers is the only way to find new, exciting opportunities.
Now that you know where to look, it’s time to get started! In the coming weeks, we’ll cover best professional practices to cultivate the relationship with your mentor. In the meantime, why not have a look at our job listings? We’re part of an expanding network of the best IT professionals and organizations – and we’d be happy to hear from you!