How to find a mentor in tech (and make the relationship work)
By TechlyUpUpdated 2 min readEarly and mid-career professionals
Quick answer
Find a mentor by being specific about what you need help with, looking where experienced people already share knowledge (communities, alumni networks, structured mentorship programs), and asking for a small, defined commitment first. Make the relationship work by bringing concrete work to each session, acting on advice, and reporting back.
Know what you need
“I want a mentor” is hard to say yes to. “I'd like feedback on my approach to moving from support into data analytics” is easy to evaluate.
Where to look
Mentors come from several places.
- Senior colleagues and former managers.
- Alumni networks and professional communities.
- Open-source projects and meetups.
- Structured mentorship programs with defined formats.
How to ask
Keep the first ask small and specific.
Hi [Name], I've followed your posts on analytics in retail. I'm moving from customer support into data work and built a small ticket-trend dashboard (link). Would you be open to a 20-minute call to review my approach? I'll send three specific questions beforehand.
Make sessions count
Bring real work, specific questions, and updates on what you did since last time. Mentors invest more in people who act on advice.
Mistakes mentees make
These make mentoring relationships fade quickly.
- Asking a stranger “Will you be my mentor?” without context.
- Arriving at sessions with no questions or work to review.
- Not acting on advice, then asking the same questions again.
- Only reaching out when you need something.
Worked example: a first mentoring conversation
A support executive moving into analytics sends three questions before a 20-minute call: which skills to prioritise, whether their dashboard project shows the right things, and how to describe the switch on their resume. The mentor reviews the dashboard beforehand and suggests adding a validation note and one business recommendation.
The mentee makes the changes within a week and sends a short thank-you with the updated link. The mentor offers another call a month later. Specific asks and visible follow-through turn one conversation into an ongoing relationship.
Try it yourself
Write the specific help you need in one sentence and draft a first message to one potential mentor.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay for mentorship?
Free mentorship through networks is valuable; paid programs can offer structure, availability, and review of your work. Choose based on what you need.
How often should I meet a mentor?
It depends on goals and availability; regular short sessions with work in between are often effective.
Can I have more than one mentor?
Yes — different mentors for different areas (technical, career, domain) is common.
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Sources and further reading
Examples are authored practice material, not measured learner outcomes. Tool behavior can change. Found an error? Contact TechlyUp with the page URL and correction.