Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Find a Mentor When You Are Changing Industries
Transcript
- Lucas: So you've spent a decade in corporate marketing, and then you decide you want to work in renewable energy project finance. Your resume is full of brand campaigns and launch metrics. The people you know are all in consumer goods. Where do you even start looking for a mentor? Luna: That's a really specific scenario. Are you talking about someone you actually know? Lucas: I am. A friend of mine made exactly that jump about two years ago. She told me the hardest part wasn't learning the technical side of solar project finance — it was finding someone who could tell her how the industry really works. Who the key players are, which skills from her old life actually transferred, and where the landmines were. Luna: And that's where a mentor who's already in the industry becomes invaluable. But how do you find them when you have zero connections? Lucas: Right. That's the core problem. When you're changing industries, your existing network is almost useless for this specific need. Your old colleagues know you're smart and capable, but they can't open doors in a sector they don't operate in. So you have to build a new network from scratch, but you don't have the legitimacy of someone who already belongs. Luna: It's a catch-22. You need a mentor to get in, but you need to be in to get a mentor. Lucas: Exactly. So the first step is to stop thinking about mentors the way you would if you were staying in your lane. You're not looking for a senior executive who will take you under their wing for the next five years. You're looking for someone who can give you a three-month crash course in industry norms. Luna: So it's a shorter-term, more transactional relationship. That's actually freeing. Lucas: It is. And it changes how you approach the search. Instead of cold-emailing the CEO of a wind farm developer and hoping they'll sponsor you, you target people who have made the same transition themselves. They understand the leap. They're more likely to empathize and be willing to help. Luna: How do you find those people? LinkedIn? Industry events? Lucas: Both. But let me give you a specific tactic that worked for my friend. She searched LinkedIn for people whose profiles included both 'marketing' and 'solar' or 'renewable energy.' She found about thirty people who had made a similar pivot. Then she sent a very short, specific message — not asking for mentorship directly. She asked for fifteen minutes to ask three questions about their career transition. That's it. Luna: Fifteen minutes, three questions. That's low ask, high specificity. I like that. Lucas: About half the people she contacted said yes. And during those calls, she didn't ask for a job or for an introduction. She asked things like, 'What was the biggest skill gap you had to fill?' and 'If you could go back, what would you have done differently in your first year?' After the call, she sent a thank-you note and said, 'If you ever have fifteen minutes again, I'd love to check in a few months from now.' Luna: So she converted a one-off informational interview into an ongoing relationship. That's how mentorship starts when you're an outsider. Lucas: Precisely. And within six months, one of those people became an informal mentor. They'd talk every six weeks. She'd share what she was learning, he'd correct her assumptions, introduce her to people at conferences. It wasn't a formal program. It was organic, but it started with that fifteen-minute call. Luna: You know, this approach works because it respects the mentor's time. You're not asking for a lifelong commitment. You're asking for a small, concrete favor that's easy to say yes to. And then you earn the right to ask for more. Lucas: Exactly. And I think a lot of people mess this up by leading with the ask. They write a long email explaining their whole life story and then say, 'Will you be my mentor?' It's overwhelming. You need to start smaller. Luna: I want to talk about rejection too. Because not everyone will say yes. What do you do when you get ignored or turned down? Lucas: You accept it gracefully and move on. But also, you can learn from it. If you're getting a very low response rate, your outreach might be too generic. Maybe your subject line doesn't signal that you've done your homework. For example, instead of 'Request for informational interview,' try 'Question about your transition from marketing to solar finance.' That shows you know their specific path. Luna: And if someone does say no, you can ask if they'd recommend anyone else. Sometimes that opens a door anyway. Lucas: Absolutely. 'Is there someone else you'd suggest I talk to?' That's a low-friction ask. And it often works. People like to be helpful, even if they can't be the one to help directly. Luna: Quick honest thing — a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making shows like this one possible. If we've helped you think through a career move or a tough decision, that's the place. No pressure, just if it's useful. Lucas: Yeah, and it's ad-free because of that. So thanks to anyone who's already part of it. Luna: Back to the industry change — there's another angle I want to explore. What about peer mentors? Someone who's also making a transition, maybe at the same time. Lucas: That's a great point. A peer mentor can be incredibly valuable because you're both figuring things out. You can share resources, commiserate, and hold each other accountable. The downside is that neither of you has insider knowledge yet. So I'd recommend having both: a peer for support and a senior person for guidance. Luna: Where do you find peer mentors? Online communities? Industry-specific Slack groups? Lucas: Yes. Also, if you're taking a course or certification in your new field, the other students are natural peers. My friend took a renewable energy finance certificate online, and she met three other career changers there. They started a weekly Zoom check-in that lasted over a year. Luna: That's smart. And it's free. So let's say you've built these relationships. How do you move from informational interview to actual mentorship? At what point do you ask for more regular guidance? Lucas: I think you don't ask. You let it evolve. If you're consistently showing up prepared, following up on advice, and sharing progress, the mentor will often offer more time. They'll say, 'Let's make this a monthly thing.' Or they'll start introducing you to their network. The key is to demonstrate that you're worth investing in. Luna: What if they don't offer? Do you ever explicitly ask? Lucas: You can, but frame it carefully. After three or four check-ins over a few months, you could say, 'I've really valued your insights. Would you be open to a more regular conversation, maybe once a month for the next few months?' That's respectful. It gives them an easy out if they're not interested. Luna: And it's time-bound. That's important. Because someone might say yes to a three-month commitment who would say no to an indefinite one. Lucas: Exactly. Now, one more thing I want to mention: don't forget to leverage your existing network in a different way. Even if your contacts aren't in the new industry, they might know someone who is. Second-degree connections can be powerful. Luna: So you ask your old boss or colleague, 'Do you know anyone in clean energy? I'm exploring a transition.' That's a low-risk ask. Lucas: Yes. And it often yields warmer introductions. A warm introduction is infinitely better than a cold LinkedIn message. My friend actually got her first mentor through a former client who had a brother-in-law in solar development. You never know where the connection will come from. Luna: So the strategy is: start with warm introductions from your existing network, then fill the gaps with targeted cold outreach to people who've made similar transitions, and supplement with peer mentors from courses or communities. Lucas: That's exactly it. And the goal isn't to find one perfect mentor. It's to build a constellation of advisors — some senior, some peers, some in your target industry, some who can give you broader career advice. That's more resilient than a single mentor relationship. Luna: I think that's a great framework. For someone listening who's in the middle of an industry change right now, what's the one action they should take this week? Lucas: Identify three people on LinkedIn who have made the same transition you want to make. Look at their career paths. Then send each of them a short, specific message asking for fifteen minutes to ask three questions. Don't ask for a job. Don't ask for mentorship. Just ask for a conversation. That's the first step. Luna: And if you get rejected or ignored, send two more. The numbers game works if you keep your asks small and respectful. Lucas: Exactly. And remember, the people who say yes are often the ones who remember what it felt like to be in your shoes. They want to help. You just have to make it easy for them.