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The results are in.
A few weeks ago, you voted to learn more about how to find a mentor on LinkedIn - so today I’ve written a step-by-step guide.
Assuming you’ve got the right mentorship mindset, dedication, and know-how after reading our previous mentorship articles, here’s how you can actually find a mentor LinkedIn to speed up your growth.
Psst: in case you missed it, here are other mentorship articles you should read before reaching out to a mentor:
Hashtags can help you discover people - and advice - to help you grow.
Here’s how:
Step 1: go to LinkedIn search bar
Step 2: type a hashtag related to your industry. Include the word “mentor” if you want
Step 3: sort through the posts and people for who might be the right mentor foryou
You can also use general hashtags like #CareerAdvice, #Leadership, or #Networking.
Here’s an example of a search for Data Analysis mentors:
Networking with event attendees and speakers is a great way to find mentors.
Here’s how to find the right events to attend:
Step 1: search for your industry (product management, data analysis, UX design, digital marketing, etc.)
Step 2: filter by events
Step 3: stalk the speakers and posts about the event (to see who’s attending)
Step 4: attend the event and be engaged, asking good questions
Step 5: send a personalized connection note to speakers and attendees with your key takeaways from the event
Here’s an example of Product Management events:
Communities can be more engaged than people posting on their personal profiles or people attending events. If you ask a question to the right community, you might get better insights than if you had posted the question on your LinkedIn profile.
Here’s how to find the right communities to join:
Step 1: search for your industry
Step 2: filter by groups
Step 3: join 2-3 large groups of more than 100k members, and 2-3 smaller groups of less than 100k members
Step 4: read the rules of the group before posting. See example rules below
Step 5: stalk previous posts of the group, and send a connection request (with a personalized note) to anyone whose posts you like
Step 6: post relevant information in the group - and tag a few members if you want a better chance of getting a response. You can ask for feedback on your portfolio
Finding people who went to the same school as you OR people who currently work at the company you want to work for is a great way to establish common ground.
Here’s how to get started:
Step 1: think of a list of things you can bond with a mentor about. This could be a hobby, your school, your career goals, music taste, passion for web3, or something else
Step 2: type your passion AND industry in the chat. If your hobby is knitting and you want to learn more about marketing, type “knitting marketing”
Step 3: find people who are passionate about the same thing you are
Step 4: stalk their profile to see if they’d be a good fit for being your mentor
Step 5: send a personalized connection note, and make sure to mention your shared passion and why you’d like to connect
When you find a potential mentor, DO NOT just send a connection request. Instead, do this:
Step 1: send a personalized connection note, so they know why you’re connecting
Step 2: include WHY you want to connect with them in the personalized connection note - what caught your attention about them? Where did you find them? Why do you want to connect, and what do you hope to learn from them?
Step 3: if they accept your connection request, send a follow-up message thanking them for connecting
Step 4: send another message that will bring them value - i.e. ask them a question about their work, share an interesting resource you think they’ll like, and generally try to get to know them better
Step 5: continue following up with them and engaging with their LinkedIn posts (liking and commenting) to build the relationship before asking for a mentorship call
Here’s how to find mentors on LinkedIn:
