Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Find a Mentor When You Are Changing Careers
Transcript
- Lucas: So you've decided to switch careers. Maybe you're moving from marketing into product management, or from finance into tech. You've updated your resume, you're taking a course on the side — but there's this nagging question: who do you ask for advice when you're no longer in your old world and not yet in the new one? Luna: Right. The obvious answer is 'find a mentor in your target industry,' but that's actually harder than it sounds. Someone who's been a product manager for ten years might not understand where you're coming from. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the blind spot a lot of career changers hit. They think they need a mentor who has the job they want — which is technically true — but they overlook the value of a mentor who understands the transition itself. Someone who's walked a similar path or who can see the connective tissue between your old role and your new one. Luna: So you're saying a mentor who has changed careers themselves might be more useful than a domain expert? At least at the beginning? Lucas: I'd argue yes, especially in the first six months of your search. Let me give you a concrete example. I spoke with a woman named Priya who spent eight years in brand marketing at a consumer goods company. She wanted to move into product management at a tech firm. She found a product leader at a mid-size SaaS company willing to mentor her. Great, right? Luna: Sounds ideal on paper. Lucas: But after a few conversations, she realised the mentor was giving her advice that assumed she already understood agile development, backlog grooming, stakeholder management from a product lens — things she'd never done. He was a great product mentor, but a terrible transition mentor. She needed someone who could first help her translate her marketing experience into product language. Luna: So she needed a translator as much as a teacher. Lucas: Exactly. She eventually found a former marketer who had moved into product three years earlier. That person could say things like: 'That A/B test you ran on email subject lines? That's essentially the same logic as a product experiment. Just frame it as hypothesis-driven development.' Priya told me that single reframe unlocked more than ten hours of generic product advice. Luna: Wow. So where do you find these transition mentors? They're not exactly wearing a badge. Lucas: Three places I've seen work consistently. First: alumni networks. Not the formal mentorship program, but the LinkedIn search filtered by alma mater and current industry. You can find people who studied the same thing you did but now work in your target field. Second: peer transition groups. There are Slack communities, cohort-based courses, even Reddit threads where career changers support each other. The person six months ahead of you is incredibly valuable. Luna: And third? Lucas: Former managers. This is the one people forget. Your old boss knows how you operate under pressure, how you solve problems, how you communicate. Even if they're in a different industry, they can advocate for you in a way a stranger can't. And they often have broader networks than you realise. Luna: But doesn't asking your old boss for mentorship when you're leaving their field feel awkward? Like you're saying 'I'm leaving your world because I want something else'? Lucas: It can feel that way, but most good managers actually respect the ambition. The framing matters. Instead of 'I want to leave marketing,' you say 'I'm exploring product management and I'd value your perspective on how my marketing skills translate.' That's a compliment to their ability to see your strengths. Luna: Okay, that's a good reframe. So let's say I've identified three potential mentors. What's the first conversation? I don't want to waste their time or mine. Lucas: The first meeting — often a coffee chat or a twenty-minute video call — should have one goal: assess fit. Not ask for a job, not ask for a formal commitment. I recommend a structure. Open with a specific ask: 'I'm exploring a move from X to Y. I'd love your perspective on how you'd approach my situation.' Then share your story in sixty seconds. Luna: Sixty seconds? That's tight. Lucas: It forces clarity. Then ask them three questions. First: 'What do you see as the biggest gap between my background and what's needed in Y?' Second: 'If you were in my shoes, what's the first thing you'd do?' Third: 'Is there anyone else you think I should talk to?' Their answers tell you a lot about whether they can help you bridge the gap or if they're just going to tell you to get a certification. Luna: I like that. Especially the third question — it shows whether they're willing to open their network, which is a sign of genuine investment. Lucas: Exactly. If they give you one name unprompted, that's a good signal. If they say 'sure, I'll send you a few people,' that's even better. And after the chat, you follow up with a thank-you note that includes one specific thing you're going to do based on their advice. That shows you're serious and respectful of their time. Luna: What about the fear of looking like a beginner? I think a lot of career changers hesitate to reach out because they don't want to seem clueless. Lucas: That's real. But here's the thing: you are a beginner in the new field. And the people worth learning from respect honest curiosity. They've been beginners too. The mistake is pretending you know more than you do. It's much better to say 'I don't know what a sprint retrospective looks like' than to nod along and then have to Google it later. Luna: And a good mentor will actually appreciate the honesty. It helps them tailor their advice. Lucas: Right. And if the mentor makes you feel bad for not knowing something, that's a red flag. That's not a mentor — that's someone who likes feeling superior. Move on. Luna: So you're saying the bar for a mentor is not just expertise, but empathy for the transition. Lucas: Exactly. And I want to add one more thing about structuring the relationship. You don't need a formal monthly meeting. In fact, for a career change, the best mentorship is often asynchronous and milestone-based. You send a brief update every three weeks — 'I applied to X jobs, I'm working on Y project' — and ask for targeted feedback. That respects their time and keeps you accountable. Luna: That's smart. It also prevents the relationship from fizzling out because you're not constantly scheduling. Lucas: And when you do land that new role, don't disappear. Send a thank-you note with specifics on how their advice helped. That's the kind of closure that makes people want to help the next person. Luna: Speaking of helping the next person — if you've found value in episodes like this one, especially if it's helped you think through a career move or a tough decision, consider supporting the show. It keeps us ad-free and focused on practical advice. Lucas: Yeah, listener support is what makes this possible. If you'd like to chip in, you can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure at all — just a way to keep the conversations going. Luna: Alright, back to mentorship. One more angle I want to explore: what about when you're not just changing careers, but also changing industries — say from corporate banking to non-profit? Does the strategy change? Lucas: It does, but not as much as you'd think. The core principle stays the same: find someone who understands the transition. But industry changers need to pay extra attention to cultural translation. A mentor who's worked in both for-profit and non-profit can help you understand how to talk about 'profit' in a mission-driven context, for example. And they can warn you about common culture shocks. Luna: Like what? Lucas: For example, pace of decision-making. In banking, you might be used to rapid trades and quarterly cycles. In a non-profit, decisions can take months and involve multiple stakeholders. A mentor who's navigated that can help you adjust your expectations and your resume language. Luna: That's the kind of stuff you can't learn from a job description. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why mentorship for career changers is so critical. It's not just about learning hard skills — it's about learning the unwritten rules of a new world. And the best guides are people who've already crossed that border. Luna: So to wrap up: don't just look for a mentor in your target role. Look for someone who's made the journey, who can translate your experience, and who respects where you're coming from. And give them a clear, low-friction way to help. Lucas: And don't let the fear of being a beginner stop you from asking. The right mentor will see your potential, not just your gaps. Luna: Good advice. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. And thanks to all of you listening. See you next time.