Mentors are great resources to help navigate career challenges. Additionally, they may act as advocates, encouraging you to apply for jobs or accept challenging assignments.

Your mentor should help guide your professional and academic goals; professional associations or alumni groups are often excellent places to find such mentors.

1. Reach Out to Your Network

Reaching out to your network and finding a mentor can be extremely helpful in furthering your career development. Learning from someone who has already achieved success in your industry and receiving advice can give you invaluable guidance as well as provide a fresh perspective on both current position and goals.

Find individuals with the skills and experience you're seeking in a mentor by exploring your workplace, professional association or online forums. Attend industry events as a way of meeting potential mentors face-to-face.

Once you've found a mentor, it's essential to keep their relationship strong. One way of doing so is showing your appreciation by sending thoughtful emails or handwritten cards showing your thanks for their assistance; or making professional introductions on their behalf such as connecting them with one of your clients.

A great mentor will tailor their guidance to suit the specific needs, goals, and learning styles of their protegee. Additionally, they can offer advice about how to tackle challenges within your career that arise.

2. Network with Others

Network with those outside your immediate circle in order to find mentors. This could include fellow employees, people in professional associations or alumni of your college who share your career goals.

LinkedIn can be an excellent way to research potential mentors. If someone's profile stands out as having impressive accomplishments, reach out and ask if they would consider mentoring you. Engaging them for coffee or Zoom conversation provides the perfect opportunity to assess if you and the mentor match up well and determine if mentoring would be worthwhile for both of you.

Keep in mind that mentoring relationships are two-way streets; offer to give something back when someone offers to mentor you as it shows your appreciation and dedication to the relationship. However, be prepared if they decline; many successful mentors have many responsibilities so it's understandable they may not have time for another mentee at this point in their careers.

3. Ask for Referrals

People in your immediate network, such as coworkers or college alumni, can be an excellent source of potential mentors. Reach out to a mutual friend and inquire online or through Meetup groups about who works at companies where you would like to find employment or who work at related industries that could serve as potential mentors; search online too if necessary for individuals whose jobs relate to your goals; look out for people with similar career interests or technology skills via Meetup groups, alumni clubs or professional associations - make sure it's someone with similar values who cares about mentoring both parties will benefit.

If you have a list of potential mentors, reach out and ask if any are willing to assume this role. Be polite but do not pressure them into accepting, explaining that you admire their path and are eager to learn from them. If they decline, thank them for their time while leaving open doors for future conversations. Once you have found one, show respect by scheduling meetings with clear agendas. Send articles you intend on reading prior to each meeting, or projects you need their input on as early as possible.

4. Create a List of Potential Mentors

Establishing what it is that you need and can offer is the first step toward finding a mentor. Without such guidance, advice may prove ineffectual or even harmful.

Mentors are individuals with experience in your industry and who understand both your career goals and industry, in addition to possessing expertise in specific areas such as finding balance between your personal and professional lives.

Find mentors through your existing network or common contacts, but consider reaching out to people outside your company such as members of business associations, non-profit organizations or alumni groups for guidance.

Once you've identified a potential mentor, meet with them and inquire as to their availability for mentoring. Be open to suggestions they have on how you could enhance your skills or how best to position yourself for career advancement. Establish regular meetings (once per week, monthly, or quarterly), such as video conference or phone calls. Finally, respect their time by being courteous when meeting.

5. Reach Out to Your Mentors

Once you've identified potential mentors, it's essential that you communicate your expectations clearly. Ask about their career experience and success strategies; perhaps they could give valuable advice regarding goal setting or maintaining work/life balance.

Respect your potential mentor's time is also key. People with highly successful schedules may not always have enough time or inclination to mentor you; if this is the case with someone you reach out to, ask if they could make a professional introduction for you or offer other forms of assistance, Morgan advises.

If a mentor agrees to help, take the initiative to arrange meetings either in-person or over the phone and show your gratitude by sending emails or articles related to their advice, showing appreciation by sending emails or showing up at meetings, telling them about how well the guidance worked and reporting back what happened after following it.