Career Journey
How to find mentors?
By Laura Sturmer | Published 30/09/2020
Along my career journey, I had the chance to find great mentors who provided me with guidance and helped me to find the answers I was looking for.
Some organizations have programs that match your background and career goals with a professional that has a similar set of skills and will help you to develop.
Check the opened mentorship program from Hispanotech as well as from other institutions such as Woodgreen, TRIEC and Acces Employment (please, add in the comments if you know any other organizations that offer the program).
Check about those organizations and their programs here:
Hispanotech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hispanotech-ca-5aa9b8141/
Woodgreen Community Center: https://www.linkedin.com/company/woodgreen-community-services/ (I volunteer as a professional mentor there and I am a big fan of their program!)
TRIEC: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toronto-region-immigrant-employment-council-triec-/
Acces Employment: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acces-employment/
JVS Toronto: https://www.jvstoronto.org/
YOU CAN ALSO FIND MENTORS ORGANICALLY, without an organization building the connection.
When you know your strengths, your professional field and have a well-defined career challenge (i.e want to start my career in Canada, the transition to a new field, etc), it’s time to reach out to people for advice.
NO, YOU ARE NOT MESSAGING PEOPLE ASKING IF THEY WANT TO BECOME YOUR MENTOR.
You are, instead, reaching out to people for an informal coffee or phone call to get some advice about your career challenge, to hear how they succeed and got to where they are today, etc.
Once you have the meeting or phone call scheduled:
1) Prepare for it, come with questions
2) Let the conversation flow naturally. Feel and observe if you think you were able to build the connection (are the answers helpful? does the conversation flow?)
3) If you feel the meeting flew well, then MAKE THE ASK.
Once accepted, nurture the relationship, IT’S NOT ONLY ABOUT YOU! Provide value to your mentor as well: share events that you found that are in his area of interest, send links of content that is relevant for him/her. Keep the conversation going and engage!
And ALWAYS, once you achieve your objectives, GIVE IT BACK! Look for people that are facing a similar challenge and OFFER HELP AND ADVICE.
Do you have any other hint or tip that worked for you on finding mentors? Share in the comments, I would love to hear from you.
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