Are you looking to increase your job satisfaction, reach a specific career goal, or climb the professional ladder? Then it might be time to look at getting a mentor.
From helping you to develop specific skills and boosting your confidence, to supporting your job applications and interview skills – the right mentorship can have a lasting positive impact on your career.
Having someone to chat to about your ambitions, who’s there to provide objective advice and guidance, and keep you on track for reaching your professional goals, will help you create a career that is enjoyable, gives you purpose and allows you to keep learning and growing.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
- Key takeaways
- What is a mentor?
- The benefits of having a mentor
- Five ways to find a mentor in your industry
- Conclusion
1. Key takeaways
- A mentor can help with specific career goals you may have – such as developing a particular skill or getting a promotion
- Mentors can provide more holistic support, including helping you to focus on long-term career aspirations or reframing how you approach challenges.
- The right mentor will depend on where you’re at in your career
- There are lots of places you can find a mentor – including your university or workplace, and through professional networks
- There are charities, non-profits and other organisations that can help you find a mentorship programme
2. What is a mentor?
A mentor is an experienced professional who provides support and guidance that will help you to grow in your career. They do this through sharing their own expertise, giving advice and feedback, and helping you to overcome challenges.
3. The benefits of having a mentor
- Building skills
A mentor can help you identify where your strengths are, but also where you need to expand your knowledge or develop certain skills. For example, web development mentorship could help your technical problem solving skills – enabling you to fix an error or find a solution to future problems independently. - Professional development
If it’s career growth that you’re looking for, a mentor can review your work history and education to date and use their knowledge of your industry to outline what you need to do in order to take the next step in your career.
Get practical tips for career progression in our article. - Setting goals (and staying accountable for them!)
If you have a specific career goal, a mentor will support you with creating a plan of action to achieve that goal, regularly check in with you so you stay focused, and support you to overcome any blockers or obstacles. - Finding opportunities
Your mentor should be able to point you towards new opportunities (for example, new vacancies, training courses, or industry events). They can also support you in applying for new jobs by looking through your CV and cover letter, and keep you motivated while jobseeking. - Navigating challenges
Mentorship can help you to look at challenges with a different perspective. If you encounter an obstacle at work, reach out to your mentor and see if they’re available to talk through the situation with you. Talking to someone who has a neutral perspective can be really helpful, as they’ll give objective advice for tackling the issue. - Gaining confidence
This may be useful if you’re looking for a mentor with no experience and feel nervous about applying for jobs and going to interviews. Mentors give trustworthy advice for submitting high-quality job applications and can also support you if you’re rejected for a role.
If it’s pre-interview nerves that get you, why not ask them to conduct a mock interview with you? This will help with knowing what to expect when it comes to the real thing.
Do you doubt yourself often when it comes to work? Read our article on imposter syndrome. - Building your professional network
A mentor could put you in touch with their professional contacts, or recommend you for a role to people in their network who are hiring.
Think of it like a friend recommending you a book or film. People are much more likely to trust the opinion of someone they know, so being introduced by a mutual professional contact will help you make a good first impression.
4. Five ways to find a mentor in your industry
When looking for a mentor, it’s important to find the right one for you. Where to find a mentor depends on what kind of mentorship you’re looking for – are you still in education, just starting out in your career, or looking to step into a management position or leadership role?
- School, college or university
Get in touch with your careers team or student support office to see if there’s a formal mentorship programme available. Or you could reach out to a teacher or tutor directly to see if they would consider mentoring you.
- Workplace
You could approach your line manager, supervisor or a colleague who’s a step or two ahead of you in their career. Your HR department may also have an official company mentorship scheme that you could take advantage of.
- Professional bodies
An employment coach at your local Jobcentre Plus may be able to talk to you about finding a mentor. If you’re a union member, look into whether they provide any mentoring.
There are mentoring schemes set up by charities and non-profit organisations to support people who may be disadvantaged in their career, for example marginalised groups such as disabled people, or people who are under-represented within certain industries, such as women in IT.
- Events
Look out for industry events through LinkedIn and apps like Meetup, as these are a great opportunity to find and network with potential mentors.
- People in your industry
Why not reach out to people that you know to see if they’re aware of any potential mentors? This could be done through LinkedIn, alumni networks or by talking to friends or family.
5. Conclusion
Now that you know the benefits of a mentor and how to find one, it’s time to get out there and start looking for a mentor. Make use of what’s available to you, whether that’s at university, work or an upcoming industry event.
Don’t feel disappointed if it doesn’t happen straight away. Finding the right mentor can take time, and a good mentor can bring a lot of value to your career so it’s worth persevering.
Looking for more career advice? Our team has put together a variety of articles to help you with career development.
Last updated on 1 June 2026
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