Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Find a Mentor When You Are a Career Changer
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, we've spent a lot of episodes talking about finding mentors in specific situations—new managers, remote workers, data scientists. But there's one scenario that feels especially daunting, and we haven't really drilled into it yet: what happens when you're changing careers entirely? Luna: Right, because it's not like you can just ask your boss for a referral in a whole new industry. You're starting from zero. Lucas: Exactly. And I've got a specific case in mind that I think illustrates the challenge well. A friend of mine, Sarah, was a high school history teacher for eight years. She loved teaching, but she wanted out—she was drawn to the structure and pace of product management. So she starts applying, and she's hitting a wall. Not because she's unqualified, but because every interviewer keeps saying, 'You don't have any product experience.' Luna: And that's the classic chicken and egg problem. How do you get the experience if no one will give you the job? Lucas: Right. And in her case, what broke the deadlock wasn't a resume tweak or a certification. It was finding two mentors—one in product, and one who had also transitioned from teaching. And the way she found them is actually really instructive. Luna: I'm curious. Did she just cold-email people on LinkedIn? Lucas: Some of it, yeah. But the smartest move she made was to reframe the ask. Instead of saying, 'Can you mentor me?'—which is a big commitment and honestly a bit vague—she asked for twenty minutes to talk about her transition plan. She specifically asked people who had made a similar leap, not just product people. Luna: So she targeted people who could empathize with the emotional part, not just the skills part. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the first thing I want to stress: when you're a career changer, you don't need one mentor. You need a constellation. Someone who knows the new industry, someone who's done the transition, maybe someone who can vouch for you. Sarah found her industry guide through a former colleague who had made the move a few years earlier. And that person introduced her to a product manager at a different company. Luna: So it was more of a warm intro than a cold outreach. Lucas: Yeah. And that's often how it works. But here's the thing—she also became a mentor herself. She started offering free resume reviews for other teachers who were considering a pivot. And that didn't just feel good; it raised her visibility. People in the product world started seeing her as someone who took initiative, who was generous with her time. That's a currency. Luna: Hmm, so mentoring others can actually help you find your own mentor. That's a nice twist. Lucas: It's a kind of reverse mentoring, but not the usual tech age flip kind. It's more about building a reputation as someone who adds value, even before you've landed the role. And that's a thread we can pull on. But before we go deeper, I want to make a tiny plug for something that's been on my mind. Luna: Sure, what's on your mind? Lucas: You know, we've been doing this podcast for a while, and it's completely ad-free, which is something we're proud of. That only works because a small number of listeners chip in a few dollars a month. If you've ever found a tip here that helped, maybe think about supporting us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It genuinely keeps the lights on. Luna: Yeah, every little bit counts. And it means we don't have to shoehorn in ads that would feel out of place. Lucas: Exactly. Anyway, back to Sarah. After a few informational interviews, she realized she needed more than advice—she needed someone who could advocate for her. That's the sponsor piece, which we've talked about before. But for a career changer, getting a sponsor is harder because you haven't proven yourself in that field yet. Luna: So how do you get a sponsor when you have no track record in the industry? Lucas: Sarah did it by leveraging her teaching experience in a creative way. She volunteered to help a product team with a user research project—she was good at designing lesson plans, which translated into structuring interview guides. She didn't ask for anything in return, but she did it well, and the team lead noticed. That person later introduced her to her eventual boss. Luna: So she basically built a mini-portfolio before she even had the job. Lucas: Yeah, and that's a key insight. When you're changing careers, you can't rely on your resume alone. You have to demonstrate your value in a tangible way. That could be a side project, a freelance gig, or even a detailed analysis of a problem the company is facing. Sarah's volunteer work was essentially that. Luna: That's a lot of initiative. But what if you're in a field where it's harder to freelance or volunteer? Like if you're going from finance to healthcare, you can't just practice on your own. Lucas: True, and that's where informational interviews become even more critical. You're not looking for a job, you're looking for learning. And the key is to be specific. Instead of asking, 'What's it like working in healthcare?' ask, 'How do you think your background in finance prepared you for the regulatory side of this role?' That kind of question makes the conversation useful for both of you. Luna: And it shows you've done your homework. Lucas: Right. And one more thing—Sarah was really upfront about her lack of experience. She didn't try to hide it. She'd say, 'I know I don't have a product title, but I've spent eight years managing classrooms of thirty teenagers. That's project management under fire.' That honesty actually earned her respect. Luna: I love that framing. It's about reframing your skills, not minimizing them. Lucas: Exactly. And that's where the mentor comes in. A good mentor for a career changer isn't just someone who gives you tips—they help you see the transferable skills you're blind to. Sarah's mentor who had also been a teacher helped her translate 'curriculum design' into 'learning architecture for onboarding.' That language made her stand out in interviews. Luna: So having a mentor who's been through the same transition is almost like a translator. Lucas: Yeah, a translator and a cheerleader. And I think that's the emotional component that's often overlooked. Career change is lonely and scary. You're dealing with imposter syndrome on a daily basis. Having someone who says, 'I felt exactly the same way, and look where I am now'—that's invaluable. Luna: So what's the takeaway for someone listening who's thinking about making a leap? Where do they start? Lucas: First, you don't need to find 'a mentor.' You need to find three or four people who can each serve a different role. One for industry knowledge, one for transition experience, maybe one for emotional support. And be specific about what you're asking for. 'Can I pick your brain' is a terrible ask. 'Can I ask you three questions about how you broke into this field' is much better. Luna: And don't underestimate the power of offering something in return, even if it's just your time or a skill from your old field. Lucas: Absolutely. That's how you build genuine relationships, not just transactional ones. And by the way, Sarah got the product manager job. She's been in it for two years now, and she's already mentoring other career changers. The cycle continues. Luna: That's a great note to end on. And if you're listening and you're in the middle of a pivot, just remember that your past experience is not a liability—it's a different kind of asset. Lucas: Right. And if you want to help us keep making these conversations, we'd be grateful. Buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small thing that adds up. Luna: Thanks for being with us.