There are as many kinds of mentors as there are people. In the best of all possible worlds, you have a range of mentors, some short-term and/or topic-specific and some long-term and/or more holistic, that you can turn to when you need them. Mentors and senior advisors are excellent sources of guidance about how to pursue your goals, advice for how to navigate challenges, and support when you’re feeling low (or celebration when you need someone who’s walked the journey with you). Mentors outside your current organization and/or field have the additional benefit of their outside perspective, and their primary investment is in your well-being (not your organization or their reputation).
The articles I have collected here provide some advice about how to find and cultivate mentors. Some of the articles may seem at odds with each other; that’s OK! There is no one right way to receive or give mentoring, so consider this variability license to experiment with the kinds of mentors and mentoring relationships that work for you.
Alexander Torrenegra’s article, "Mentores: A Practical Guide for Finding, Gngaging, and Learning from Mentors," discusses the value of mentors, where to find them, how to contact them, and how to use them. It is a practical guide to cultivating those relationships.
Mark Horoszowski’s HBR article, “How to Build a Great Relationship with a Mentor,” provides a step by step guide to finding a mentor and building a working relationship with them. The very first step he recommends is for you to define your career goals (include in this list “getting honest feedback”!). Knowing where you want to go allows you to identify appropriate mentors: people situated to help you achieve those goals.