How to find a mentor

Hi WSO,

Can y'all please provide some advice on how to find a free mentor? I am trying to transition careers from edtech to finance and would like to have someone to come to for advice, etc. Ideally, I would like to my next role to be related to quantitative research/algo trading in the Bay Area. I have tired doing cold outreach via LinkedIn but haven't had much success, and I am not close to anybody that works in that role. All my of data analytics skills are self taught through Quantopian and DataCamp, and I regularly use Python and SQL in my current role. Anyway, any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

Keep at it. Craft a compelling story (short and concise) that gets people's attention, demonstrates sincere interest, and shows credibility.

The way I found my mentors was I identified someone I want to be like or who has accomplished what I was hoping to achieve and reached out. People are willing to help people if they see you care enough.

Also, ask good questions. People love sharing their story and if there's one way to get people to like you and be willing to help it's to have them talk about themselves and get them to share their stories.

"Out the garage is how you end up in charge It's how you end up in penthouses, end up in cars, it's how you Start off a curb servin', end up a boss"
 

It was far more organic than finding someone and asking "hey will you mentor me?".

He had just moved back to our area from SF after he exited the startup that he founded. I took him out for beers and asked a ton of good questions and discussed what my team was building and our incremental progress. After meeting 4 times or so I finally just asked if he'd be willing to take a more formal role as a mentor and advisor and the rest is history.

The ultimate goal is to develop real relationships with people, show them you're making progress and hungry, and eventually - if they fit what you need from a mentor - it'll happen.

"Out the garage is how you end up in charge It's how you end up in penthouses, end up in cars, it's how you Start off a curb servin', end up a boss"
 

I am in a very similar situation, looking for a mentor in the same space in the bay area. Do you want to network so we can exchange notes during our search?

 

Similique fuga quisquam sint esse. Iure molestiae molestiae eligendi sit adipisci. Quaerat qui provident hic quidem. Aut aliquam nisi deleniti eius enim dicta. Ea sunt neque et cumque velit nihil est. Quam eius voluptatem velit porro.

Hic repellendus reprehenderit dolor et amet. Ratione ducimus facere enim ducimus. Consequatur accusantium sapiente magnam et. Culpa fuga consectetur reiciendis voluptas recusandae voluptatem fugiat. Qui beatae dicta sapiente eveniet nam itaque. Consequatur nihil fugiat quibusdam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”