A friend of mine wants to a mentor to help him transition into a consulting position.  There are a few people he has in mind, but he hasn’t approached them yet.

“What are you waiting for?” I asked him.

“I don’t know how to approach them about it,” he replied.

“Just ask. ‘Would you be willing to be my mentor?’ ”

He told me, “I knew you’d say that.”

Finding a mentor really is as easy as just asking.  Find someone who’s work and experience you admire - who’s successfully done what you want to do.  Tell them you admire their work and career and ask if they would be willing to mentor you.  Really, it is that easy - it’s a 2 sentence request.

Here are two ways you can find mentors to help guide you:

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