Design mentorship is oftentimes presented as the Holy Grail for UX beginners looking to get started in the industry. It makes sense - an experienced designer can give you real world insights that is more actionable than theory from a book.
Yet it’s not easy to find those design mentors. In the past years I’ve received many requests to mentor people.1 I’ve seen these 5 common mistakes people make - and that ultimately lead to a “no”.
1. Vague requests
One of the most common questions I see when people ask for help is: “Can you review my portfolio?”
Here’s why this is not a good question: it’s too vague. Oftentimes people ask for help, without specifying their ask. A portfolio review can mean many things: storytelling, casestudies you presented, visuals, usability and user-friendliness.
The more specific your question is, the easier it is for others to help you. This not only goes for portfolio reviews, but for one question you might have.
Here are some examples
Instead of: “Can you review my portfolio?” → “Can you tell me if my storytelling in casestudy XYZ is clear to you as a reader?”
Instead of: “Can you help me find a job? → “This is my jobsearch journey so far […]. This are the strategies I’ve used […] with the results […]. What can I do different?”
Instead of: “Do you mentor people?” → “I’m looking for support with [XYZ] and I saw that you have experience with [XYZ]. I was wondering if you could give me advice on [XYZ].
2. Out of the blue contact
You can’t build a personal relationship with every connection you make. However, you can reach out in a way that feels personal. When reaching out to someone in hopes that they offer mentorship or give you advice, it’s always a good idea to see if you have any mutual connections or shared experiences. You can also tell a bit about yourself to give context as to why you’re reaching out.
3. Lack of basic manners
A simple hello, introduction of who you are and appreciation that someone else invests their free time in you goes a looong way. It’s easy to forget that behind online personas actually is a real person.
When you reach out to someone for guidance or to build a mentorship relation with, be mindful of their time. A “quick 30 min call” can be a big ask when the people you’re reaching out to don’t know who you are and it’s not clear what the 30 min call is about.
4. Too narrow view on mentorship
There seems to be a very limited view on mentorship. The most common way people seek mentorship is through 1:1 contact with a more experienced person in the field. Unfortunately, this is not always available. In my opinion, mentors are people that motivate and inspire you. Their experience can help you on your journey. That means that mentorship could also look like:
Following people on social media
Connecting with peers at (online) events
Learning from your colleagues at work
5. Asking the wrong person
Before you reach out to someone with a question, check if this is the right person to ask. If you want guidance on user research, it might not make a lot of sense to ask someone who’s mostly focused on design systems.
I’m not mentoring people online at the moment. But if you have a question, please do leave a comment or reply to this email and I might answer your question in a next newsletter.
Thanks for the information.