How to find a mentor in your field
Where mentors actually come from, and how to ask so that they say yes.
4 minute read · Last updated 5 October 2026
Where they come from
Not usually from a formal programme. Mentors most often come from the people two or three steps ahead of you: a senior colleague, a lecturer, someone in a community group, or someone whose work you have read and admired.
Start with proximity. The best mentor is usually someone who can see your work and your effort.
How to ask
Ask for a single, specific, time-boxed conversation: "Could I take twenty minutes to ask you about how you moved into this field?" That is easy to say yes to. A vague request for mentorship is easy to postpone.
Come prepared with real questions, listen more than you talk, and follow up on one piece of their advice and tell them what happened. That is what turns one conversation into a relationship.
Be a good mentee
Respect their time, do not ask them to do your work, and be honest about what you need. When you are further along, mentor someone behind you — that is how this stays alive.
You can have several mentors for different things: one for your craft, one for your career, one for your confidence.
The one thing to take away
Ask for one specific conversation, not for a lifelong commitment.
Always check the official source. Rates, fees and rules change.