Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Find a Mentor Outside Your Industry
Transcript
- Lucas: So here's a scenario I hear all the time: someone knows they need a mentor, but they feel like everyone they know is in the exact same field doing the exact same kind of work. And they assume that means they have to find a mentor inside their industry. But I actually think the opposite can be more valuable. Luna: A mentor outside your industry? That sounds risky. Wouldn't they lack context on the specifics? Lucas: That's the fear, and it's fair. But let me give you a concrete example. I know a marketing executive at a mid-size tech company. She felt stuck — she was getting the same advice from every marketing leader she talked to. 'Invest in brand,' 'double down on content,' all that. Then she reached out to a supply chain director at a completely different company, a manufacturing firm. Luna: What could a supply chain person possibly tell a marketer about her career? Lucas: That's exactly why it worked. The supply chain director asked her questions no marketer would ask. Like, 'How do you measure the throughput of your campaigns the way I measure inventory turnover?' She had never thought of her work in those terms. He helped her see that her team's output was actually a pipeline, not a series of creative projects. That reframing changed how she pitched her strategy to the C-suite. Luna: Okay, I see the logic now. Someone outside your field doesn't have the same assumptions. They ask fundamental questions. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the core thesis of this episode: the outsider mentor offers what I call 'blind spot illumination.' They can't fill in the jargon, but they can challenge the framework. And most of us need that more than we need another person who agrees with us. Luna: So how do you actually find one? It's not like you can walk into a random industry conference and say, 'I need a mentor from a different sector.' Lucas: Right, you need a strategy. First, identify a function or skill you admire that is not specific to your industry. For example, if you're in finance, you might admire how product managers think about user needs. Or if you're in HR, you might want to learn how a sales leader builds pipeline. So step one: pick a transferable skill. Luna: And then look for someone who excels at that skill, regardless of their industry. Lucas: Exactly. Step two: find them on LinkedIn or through mutual connections. But here's the key — when you reach out, don't say 'I want you to be my mentor.' Say, 'I'm trying to get better at, and I noticed you wrote a post about it. Could I buy you a coffee and ask about your approach?' That's low commitment and high signal. Luna: So the ask is about a skill, not about a relationship. That makes sense. And it's easier for a busy person to say yes to. Lucas: And once you have that first conversation, you can see if there's chemistry. If there is, you can ask for a second one. Over time, it becomes a mentorship without ever using that label. And that's actually healthier. Luna: I want to push back a little though. What if the person's industry is so different that they can't relate to your day-to-day at all? Like, a teacher mentoring a software engineer. Is that too far? Lucas: It's not too far, but you have to be smart about it. The teacher might not help you with coding, but they could help you with classroom management skills that translate to leading a team. Or with how to communicate complex ideas simply. So you have to be intentional about what you're borrowing. Luna: Right. So it's about mining for the transferable wisdom, not expecting industry-specific guidance. Lucas: Exactly. And that's actually the beauty of it. The more different their world is, the more likely they are to see something you've been blind to. I had a friend who was a lawyer, and she got a mentor who was a firefighter. He taught her about decision-making under pressure — literally life or death decisions. She applied that to how she prepared for trials. It transformed her practice. Luna: That's a powerful story. But let me ask the practical question: how do you maintain that relationship when you don't share a common industry language? Don't conversations get awkward? Lucas: They can, if you don't prepare. I recommend coming to each conversation with a specific scenario from your work. Describe it without jargon. Say, 'I have a project where I need to convince a group of people to adopt a new tool. How would you approach that in your world?' That invites them to apply their framework to your situation. And you learn their language in return. Luna: So you're essentially learning to translate your work into universal terms. That's a skill in itself. Lucas: It is. And it makes you a better communicator overall. Now, the other side of this is that you also have something to offer them. A cross-industry mentor relationship can be mutual. You can share insights from your field that they might find novel. So it's not just one-way. Luna: That's a good point. It becomes a genuine exchange. And I think the best mentorships are like that. Lucas: Speaking of exchanges — and this is a little off the main thread, but I think it connects — a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these episodes going. Buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, if you've gotten something out of them. Luna: Yeah, we're ad-free because of listeners who chip in. It makes a real difference. Lucas: So back to the cross-industry idea — one thing I want to emphasize is that you don't need to go far. Look at adjacent industries first. If you're in healthcare, consider a mentor in logistics. If you're in education, consider someone in hospitality. These industries face similar challenges — managing people, satisfying customers, optimizing processes — but they solve them differently. Luna: So start near the border of your industry and then expand outward. What about finding these people? Do you recommend specific platforms? Lucas: LinkedIn is the obvious one, but I also like professional associations that cut across industries. For example, if you're in project management, the Project Management Institute has members from every sector. You can attend a local chapter meeting and meet people from banking, construction, tech — all in one room. Luna: That's a great tip. Also, alumni networks from universities can be cross-industry by nature. Lucas: Absolutely. And don't underestimate the power of volunteering. If you volunteer for a cause you care about, you'll meet people from all walks of life. I know a banker who met his mentor — a nonprofit executive director — while serving meals at a shelter. They bonded over a shared value, not a shared industry. Luna: That's a beautiful example. So the common thread is shared values or shared interests, not shared job titles. Lucas: Exactly. And once you establish that connection, the mentorship can evolve naturally. The key is to be clear about what you're seeking. Are you looking for strategic advice? Operational tips? Leadership guidance? Different mentors for different needs. Luna: So you might end up with multiple cross-industry mentors, each serving a different purpose. Lucas: That's the ideal. Think of it as a personal board of advisors, but drawn from outside your echo chamber. And the research backs this up: people with diverse networks — especially across industries — get promoted faster and report higher career satisfaction. A study from the Harvard Business Review found that executives with cross-sector mentors were more innovative in their problem-solving. Luna: That's a concrete stat. It's not just a nice idea — it actually pays off. Lucas: Exactly. And here's a final practical tip: when you do find a cross-industry mentor, set a regular cadence. Monthly check-ins work well. And keep a log of the insights you gain. Over time, you'll see patterns emerge that you can apply to your own career. Luna: I like that. So to recap: identify a transferable skill, find someone who excels at it outside your industry, make a low-pressure ask, and come prepared with a scenario. Then nurture the relationship. Lucas: You summed it up perfectly. I think the biggest barrier is just the assumption that a mentor has to be someone in your field. Drop that assumption, and a whole world of perspective opens up. Luna: And if you're listening and you've ever had a cross-industry mentor, we'd love to hear your story. Reach out to us. Lucas: Yeah, that's it for today. Next time we'll talk about something that I think is equally overlooked — how to be a good mentee when you're the one with more experience in the room. See you then.