Speedy Mentors       2 yrs ago

Whether you want to develop your UX design skills further or secure a UX design job, a UX design mentor can help you realise that goal and achieve the next level of success in your career. In this article, we discuss the UX mentor’s role, why you need one, and how you can find the right mentor for your specific needs.

The role of a UX design mentor

A UX mentor is someone with in-depth knowledge and experience in the discipline. You may employ the guidance and support of this person to teach and advise you on different aspects of UX design, provide you guidance and advice to navigate the learning process, grow your skills, and move ahead in your career. Many UX design mentors opt to provide professional development support to pass on their wisdom and skills to people who will benefit from them the most. Others find the work of helping others both rewarding and challenging while gaining new competencies in the process.

Engaging in a professional relationship with a UX design mentor can either be formal or informal. A formal mentorship is usually structured, with defined schedules for meetings, contact and response times, focus, feedback, goals, and accountability. On the other hand, an informal mentorship is unstructured, which means it is not tied to any specific objective or goal and has no defined timelines. It is also often based upon the chemistry or similarity between the mentor and mentee.

Whichever of the two mentoring relationships you get involved in, know that a mentoring relationship provides you with an environment for open interaction. Also, it is a two-way street where you and your mentor need to work together to ensure the relationship remains purposeful and productive.

Reasons you need a UX design mentor

Having a UX design mentor can help you in a myriad of ways. For one, good mentoring can help you set smart goals necessary to get you where you want to be. On top of that, a mentor can help bridge the gap in your knowledge by identifying areas in your skillset where you could be lacking and working with you to develop and implement actionable steps to address them.

Still not sold with the idea? Here are even more reasons that highlight exactly why you should have a UX design mentor.

Receive valuable feedback. Beyond providing advice and words of encouragement, a mentor can also provide you with honest and constructive feedback. With that, it becomes easier to identify the barriers preventing you from realising your goals while also helping you have a better sense of self-efficacy. 

Expand your professional network. Consider looking at a mentor as a broker--someone who acts as an intermediary between two parties. In your case, your mentor can link you up with people and communities, helping expand your network. You should know by now that a solid and expansive network is one of the most vital tools for your professional success. The people and communities that your mentor will introduce to you could become your most important professional contacts and resources for gaining insights into trends and insider information on job opportunities.

Set necessary boundaries. Defined boundaries that help you feel comfortable, confident, and motivated are critical to a successful mentorship. Your mentor will establish healthy boundaries that they believe will contribute to your professional development. For instance, they might set expectations regarding acceptable behaviours while working them, help you prioritise tasks, and remind you how to maintain a work-life balance. All these can improve your work habits and your ability to take accountability for developing your skills and emotional well-being.

Access opportunities and referrals. Although the point of having a UX design mentor is to have a supporter and advocate for your talents, they can also be a great source of job opportunities. That is especially true if they find you a competent professional who will be a great addition to companies they know. If they cannot provide you with direct job opportunities, your mentor will likely provide you with a referral, which should help validate your skills, experience, and value to prospective employers. 

Greater career success. A good UX design mentor will stay in contact with you no matter where you are at in your career journey. They make sure that they can act as a sounding board for your ideas and concerns and advisor to help you identify and eliminate obstacles to your career progression. They will even continue to lead by example so you can remain engaged in your current job or endeavour. The point here is that your mentor can help you thrive and achieve greater success in your career.

Finding a UX design mentor

When finding a UX design mentor, you need to approach someone competent in the discipline. They must also have a genuine desire to help others grow and thrive without waiting for a reward. Likewise, they should be willing to commit their time and energy to make the mentoring relationship work and have the willingness to share their wisdom and understanding. Although finding such a person may seem like a tall order, it is doable if you can follow the tips below.

Tap into your network

You do not have to go too far to find a mentor. You may already have professional contacts who have achieved success in your field, and they could be the ones to help you realise your goals. Create a list of those people, and once you have identified who will make for an ideal mentor, reach out and ask. The good thing about this strategy is that you will not be forced to approach and start a relationship with someone you do not know, which can be awkward and intimidating. Likewise, you do not have to worry about you and your mentor getting along.

Try cold outreach

If there is no one in your network you believe can be your UX design mentor, you have no other choice but to go outside of it. LinkedIn is probably one of the best places to find prospective mentors since it is a platform where most professionals from different industries convene. However, if you would be using it, you need to establish a connection and a cold outreach is still one of the most effective ways to get yourself and your intent out there. 

So how do you do a cold outreach? First, make sure you will be reaching out to the right people. Research potential mentors and learn who they are and what they do. That will familiarise you with them and help build a foundation upon which to base the authentic praise you can offer to them. Once you create a contact list, start drafting messages. 

When creating cold outreach messages, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep it concise.

• Use a catchy yet non-spammy subject line. 

• Engage in your first sentence to keep their interest.

• Include information about how you found them.

• Offer something valuable to your contact.

• Express your intent.

• Conclude with a call-to-action.

• Provide your contact details and links.

Always be optimistic about your attempts for cold outreach, but be prepared to be disregarded. After all, the people you will be contacting may already be inundated with help requests daily. They may also have other obligations that are keeping them from responding. In that case, you can always follow up to close the deal. Still, if you do not get a response, do not take it personally. You are a highly talented individual who has a lot to offer, which means you can always find the support you require.

Sign up to a mentorship platform

If you find it challenging to search for and approach potential mentors, your best option is to join a mentorship platform. There are plenty of that online, covering all or specific industries. For instance, Speedy Mentors is best if you are looking for a mentor in tech and business. You have hundreds of mentors to choose from, and many of them are from top companies. You can even explore their profiles to know their experiences, expertise, and the areas they can help you with. All mentors offer a 7-day free mentoring, giving you enough time to decide if you should try the paid mentorship option. The great thing about this is that it takes the complexity out of finding and connecting with mentors. You can simply click on the “apply for a mentorship” button on the mentor’s profile that interests you and wait for their approval. 

Aside from a mentorship platform, you may also consider joining professional networking events in your industry or attending volunteer events. That will allow you to observe experienced professionals and connect with those who you think could be suitable mentors for you.