Raising the Average - Finding and Managing Mentors

The speaker, who moved into IT after a sales career, opens by noting that many people starting out lack a mentor and feel unsure how to find one. He builds the talk around the idea that the people you spend most time with shape your growth. He argues that career changers often treat their earlier jobs as a weakness, when those experiences can make them stronger candidates.

He describes three mentor types. Subject matter experts work in the role you want and can explain their day-to-day work; a conversation with a penetration tester helped him rule out one path and pick another. Attesters are closer contacts who will vouch for you, act as references and help with a job search. Accountability partners are peers or people slightly ahead who check in on goals. To find people, he suggests looking at recorded webinars, conference speakers and event organizers, and reaching out with a short message. Calls should run about half an hour to an hour, with a clear agenda, written questions and an action item.

He stresses the follow-up: thank the person, summarize takeaways, set a next date and keep the relationship active. He also covers ending a mentorship gracefully, naming the relationship out loud, and the fact that mentoring others benefits the mentor. The closing message is to be specific, show up on video when possible, and recognize that trust is the main barrier for entry-level candidates.