How to Introduce Yourself to a Mentor Via Email

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A mentorship is a professional relationship which allows a more experienced person to offer teaching and support to a younger person looking to join their industry.

To introduce yourself to a mentor, you’ll have to consider how you’ve been connected with them, what you would like to gain from the mentorship, and how the mentorship would operate. This is generally best done via email.

Here’s what you need to know about introducing yourself to a mentor or potential mentor figure via email.

How to approach a potential mentor

Before you consider writing to someone to ask them to be your mentor, it’s a good idea to see if they have mentored before or if they have any public statements regarding mentorship. Not all professionals are open to the idea of mentoring, and messaging someone not open to the idea is at best fruitless and at worst a wasted professional connection.

A good bet for finding a mentor in your industry is working with mentorship programs such as those run through colleges and universities. These programs match eager students and young professionals with willing and enthusiastic mentors who are vetted experts in their subjects. You can find these programs through basic searching online or by contacting your local higher education establishment.

If you do decide to contact someone to ask about mentorship independently, make sure you are using a professional, publicly available email address to reach them and that you are polite in your interaction. Be prepared to wait for a response, as that person may have a full schedule; you should also be prepared to wait for your mentorship to start, as it is a significant dedication of time and energy.

What a mentor introduction email should include

However you choose to find your mentor, when introducing yourself to a mentor via email, you can generally follow the same script.

  • Create a simple, direct, and polite subject line outlining your intentions.
  • Address your potential mentor formally by the appropriate title (Dr., Mr., Ms., Mrs., etc.).
  • Introduce yourself by your preferred name and professional or academic title.
  • Express how you’ve been connected with them (via a mentoring program, through recommendation, or through personal research).
  • Discuss your background.
  • Offer action items to begin the mentorship with direction.
  • Offer your availability and open the door for connection.

You may also wish to offer your CV or resume in your email, though if you are contacting them without using a mentorship matching program, you don’t necessarily want to attach it, as email attachments from strangers can be seen as spam and may be automatically filtered out.

Mentor introduction email template

Here’s how you might introduce yourself via email to your mentor.

SUBJECT: In Regard To A Mentorship Opportunity

Hello [Title] [Name],

My name is [Name] and I am a [Title]. I was given your contact information via [Person/Program] on/at [Date/Event] and, given your experience with [Industry], would love to be considered as your mentee.

I am from [Place] and have been working in [Industry] for [Number] years as a [Title/Former Titles]/I am a [Year] student at [School] studying [Major]. [Personal Connection].

I would love to explore [Subject] further, especially considering your work/research in [Subject]. Regarding this, I’ve been considering expanding my knowledge via [Project] and would love your guidance for the best way to approach this.

Please reach out to me via [Method] at [Contact Information] if you are interested in establishing this relationship. I would be happy to send along my resume/CV for your consideration. I am available at/on/during [Time] and look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards,

[Name]

[Contact Information]

 

Conor
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