KYCareerMover: Career - Related Articles

April 12, 2005

FINDING A MENTOR

By Bronmin Shumway

One of the most sure-fire ways to end up in a job that you love is by finding a mentor to teach you the ropes.

Take Andrea Scher, founder and owner of Superhero Designs. After graduating from college with a degree in Economics, she realized that number-crunching in an office wasn’t going to satisfy her creative side, which was actually her stronger, passionate, hungrier side.

She needed to find her niche, a way to bring to the surface all of those underlying dreams that so many of us, at some point in our lives, stop acknowledging.

She decided to contact SARK, a San Francisco-based author and artist. “I mailed my resume along with a fairly elaborate collaged book filled with words, photos, boa feathers and glitter,” says Andrea. “By the time I called to follow up on my resume, the women in her company were saying to me, ‘We loved your little book and we're so excited to meet you!’ The rest is history.”

After being mentored by SARK and her company for four and a half years, Andrea had the skills and vision she needed in order to start her own company. She now makes beautiful jewelry in her home studio, and is able to do the bulk of her business at trade and art shows, and through her website, www.superherodesigns.com.

The success of her business has also recently allowed her to expand in order to include a line of clothing.

But how can you go about finding a mentor? One way to find a mentor is to locate those people in your community who are currently successful in the field you would like to pursue.

For example, do you have a passion for designing purses? Try calling the smaller boutiques in your area in order to determine whether or not they feature local designers. If they do, ask for the designer’s name and contact information. (Some businesses dislike giving out this information; if this is the case, ask if you can leave your contact information instead.) When you get in contact with a designer, tell him or her about your intentions and ask if you might be able to come by and visit their studio or workspace in order to learn a little bit about their techniques. You’ll find that most independent business-owners and self-employed artists/designers are happy to share what they know with others who are taking an interest.

At your meeting, inquire as to whether or not you might be able to become an apprentice or intern. Many small business-owners are unable to pay for this sort of attention, so be prepared to receive more education than compensation. If your apprenticeship results in generating more income for your mentor, you may begin to receive payment for your work, or to ask if you might be able to receive a stipend or commission each time you help obtain a new account or incur more business.

If you’re still in college, another way to find a mentor is to meet with your favorite professor. Take advantage of your professor’s office hours. If you want to be a journalist someday, bring along a few of your writing samples or article ideas. Show your professor your work and then ask for some input. You might be surprised at the quality of advice and guidance that you receive.

In addition, you may want to contact your city’s magazines or newspapers in order to learn about their various internship programs. Get online and seek these publications out. After you turn in your application or resume, place a follow-up call the next day in order to touch base with the person who will be making the acceptance decisions. This shows that you are able to take initiative and are serious about the opportunity you are being given. Keep in mind that most internship programs take into account that the bulk of their interns will be students, and therefore allow you to balance your work schedule with your class schedule.

The most important thing to remember while seeking out a mentor is to consider all of the possibilities. Look for guidance from successful people in your field of interest and ask them how they got started. You will be amazed at the support, education, experience and variety of skills that you can acquire.