Mentorship is a powerful tool for personal and professional development. For UX beginners, a mentor can help them consolidate their past experiences and confidently map out a path to their dream UX career. For UX mentors, it\u2019s a rewarding opportunity to \u2018pay it forward\u2019 to the next generation of UX.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve decided you\u2019d like a UX mentor, you\u2019re taking a sizeable step towards becoming a more experienced \u2014 and more confident \u2014 UX designer. At this stage, you might be faced with one glaring question: How do I actually go about finding a UX mentor?<\/p>\n
Fortunately, there are a few different approaches you can take when finding a UX mentor. In this blog post, we\u2019ll walk you through the benefits of having a UX mentor \u2014 and where to find one. We\u2019ll also leave you with a few practical tips on how to get the most out of your mentorship.<\/p>\n
[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n Mentorship has gone from being a \u2018nice to have\u2019 perk to being widely considered a vital component of UX career progression. The field of UX can seem overwhelming and competitive, particularly for beginners, full of confusing jargon and endless variations of UX job titles<\/a>. It\u2019s a lot to grapple with and a UX mentor can help you make sense of it all.<\/p>\n UX mentors are seasoned professionals who bring a wealth of UX experience to the table to help you forge a fulfilling UX career. They\u2019ve been in your shoes, made similar mistakes and learned invaluable lessons on their path to success. What\u2019s more, they\u2019re in your corner; providing actionable ways to help you overcome impostor syndrome and cheering you on as you build confidence.<\/p>\n UX mentors are so much more than personal cheerleaders. Your UX mentor will serve as your personal reference point for modern UX standards – sharing insights on the skills, tools and best UX practices that employers look for. They\u2019ll teach you how to hone your technical abilities to be a cut above the rest.<\/p>\n Some of the benefits of having a UX mentor include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Once a UX leader becomes your mentor, they are officially invested in your success. Rather than a blanket \u2018one size fits all\u2019 approach, they\u2019ll offer tailored support and guidance to help you reach your goals. Whether they\u2019re hands on\/hands off, if you meet remotely or face-to-face, whether they\u2019re helping you overcome a specific challenge or offering more general guidance,\u00a0 everyone\u2019s relationship with their UX mentor looks different.<\/p>\n Search UX mentorship websites<\/strong> MentorCruise<\/a> is among the most popular tech mentor sites, allowing you to find and connect with world-leading UX mentors at a few clicks of a button. Another great website to find mentors is ADPList.<\/a><\/p>\n Join UX communities<\/strong> Popular UX communities include Ladies that UX<\/a>, User Experience Design<\/a> (Reddit) and the extended UX Design Institute student community.<\/p>\n Approach someone<\/strong> When taking this approach, it\u2019s important to do it the right way. The last thing you want is to pressure someone into saying yes or blindsiding them into agreeing to something they don\u2019t actually have time for. Remember: UX leaders are usually super busy, so don\u2019t take it personally if it\u2019s not something they have capacity for. Instead, focus on relationship building. If you lay the foundations with someone, you might make enough of an impression for them to consider mentoring you down the line.<\/p>\n Put the word out there<\/strong> This also means you\u2019re not putting any pressure on specific individuals to respond to your mentorship request; the more specific you are with what you\u2019re looking for in your post, the more likely you are to find someone who\u2019s able to meet your expectations (and has the capacity to do so). You\u2019ll also get people commenting with useful UX mentorship sites and resources. Win-win!<\/p>\n Enrol in a class or course<\/strong> UX Design Institute’s webinar mentors have a clear sense of how you\u2019re learning, what you\u2019re working on, and which milestones you\u2019re working towards.<\/p>\nWhat is the value of a UX mentor?<\/h2>\n
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How to find a UX mentor<\/h2>\n
\nAs the tech world continues to uncover the endless benefits of mentoring, there\u2019s been a whole host of new startups and platforms to help UXers find their \u2018perfect match\u2019 in a mentor. Some are free, some are paid but they are all are worth having on your radar, depending on what your needs are.<\/p>\n
\nWhen it comes to finding a mentor, don\u2019t underestimate the power of networking. From Slack groups to meetups, the field of UX is abundant with supportive and active communities<\/a> based all over the world. You\u2019ll naturally start making connections with like-minded UXers, increasing your visibility in the UX space as you go. The more active and engaged you are with workshops, meetups and social media, the more likely you\u2019ll be seen by senior UX designers as a worthy and enthusiastic potential mentee.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s possible that you\u2019ve already got someone in mind for mentorship. Maybe they\u2019re already working within your specific niche or have a similar background to yours. It might even be someone you already know, whether you\u2019ve worked with them or have met them at networking events.<\/p>\n
\nPutting yourself out there on social media isn\u2019t easy. But sometimes, the first step to finding a UX mentor is helping them find you. Chances are there are already some interested UX leaders within your network and a simple LinkedIn post will help you get the word out.<\/p>\n
\nIf you\u2019re new to UX, and you\u2019re looking for a mentor to help you develop your skills and confidence, it\u2019s worth considering enrolling in a UX course. Many UX design courses include a course mentor – for example, UX Design Institute’s Professional Diploma in UX Design<\/a> has mentorships built into their programme – and they bring years of industry experience to the table to help you forge a fulfilling career in UX. These mentorships are offered in the form of multiple weekly live webinars which students have unlimited access to throughout their time on the course.<\/p>\n