Acquiring Mentors

Mentors play a significant role in career growth. It'd be to your best advantage if you can find a domain expert at whatever discipline you are devoted to. Some potential good mentors do not even know they'd make good mentors and that may be one reason to not rely on asking a person to be your mentor. While they may reply that they have no time or aren't good at it, they might actually make great mentors. You certainly need to have observed whoever you'd be asking to be your mentor and be able to tell if they are the kinds who are afraid to make commitments like that (that's not a bad thing). We all have our own lives to deal with and a mentor may be so preoccupied that they can't think of committing hours into mentoring especially when you want a free mentorship.

The role of mentors in every form of growth cannot be denied. From our births, our parents guide us through life as our early mentors. For some, the parents remain a mentor through life journey but we all aren't that lucky. Either way there would be a time you need to face the world outside the comfort of home and do things beyond the scope of the knowledge anyone around you has. At this point you need to find a good mentor because it's never easy to do anything alone. You'll also find there's something missing.

Something that may work as a substitute to having a mentor is being involved in communities which may directly include people with enough knowledge to be mentors or people who have had impact of knowledge through another source (perhaps a mentor or resource). But isolation is never a good option.

When you set out to get a mentor it may not be so easy someone that fit the title. There would be people offering mentorship that haven't had their own lives figured. A mentor doesn't have to be perfect so you don't try to seek perfection but if you have a mentor without a purpose then that's just how you'd end up.
There are 3 possible responses when you request that someone become your mentor: Sure (most likely), no (not always a downright no), or a mute response if they are able to evade it with the conditions of how the question gets asked. There are ways you can handle these responses.

In software engineering and design, I've found most people are happy to take on a mentorship role. Sometimes you have to prove you're worth being mentored by putting a decent amount of effort into things you need help and advice with. A mentor may or may not confirm you are serious and ready to be mentored. They really don't have to do anything when it's a free mentorship. You have to report to them frequently and consistently try to get better at what you're being mentored on. Any design mentor would be happy to have a mentee that shows up very frequently with variations on design ready to get feedback on how to do something even more impressive.

When someone denies to mentor you, you shouldn't conclusively put them aside as a failed attempt. This could be as a result of so many things you are unaware of. You can gradually make them the mentor you want them to be if you find value in them by getting simple opinions from them and updating them with your progress. Take 2 minutes of their day which is a little portion of the 1440 minutes they have in a day, then gradually they may help you increase that time of commitment.
This is also likely to work with anyone indecisive on mentoring you.

A good mentee

When you've acquired a mentor there are things you could do to show your appreciation to your mentor either it's a paid or free mentor. Knowledge is priceless.

• Respect their time. If they aren't available to reply at a time don't push it.
• Ask about their welfare. Including family, work if they are willing to share. This shows that you care about them as humans as well and you don't just want things to yourself.
• Give gifts to them. Surprise them with gifts for holidays and little celebrations they may have.
• Be ready to offer your time in return when they need you.

You should also remember that wolves could appear as sheeps and some people offering mentorship are only looking for someone to take advantage. If you find yourself with a mentor like this, you should try to bail as soon as you can.

You could have more than one mentor and remember to never object the opinions of one with that of another. Respect each of them as humans. They shouldn't be like clashing firewalls on a broken computer to you.

A designer can have an illustration mentor and an animation mentor. Or one with a good rounded knowledge but not necessarily a specialist. You may get yourself confused or misled when you have too many mentors so it's best to keep it at a maximum of 3.

Stay humble to your mentors and remember they are people with their own work and family so never bug them with your own needs and always give them a good reason to keep up mentoring you.