How to find a professional mentor

If you've read my book or heard me speak you know the #1 advice I give everyone I meet is this:

Find a professional mentor.

The next question, of course, is how. I dedicate 1/3 of my entire book on how to find a professional mentor, because the process itself changed my life. 

In fact, the most popular question I get at advice@communitycollegesuccess.com is how to find a mentor. While I explain it in depth in my book, I wanted to give you a quick overview to get you started.

What is a professional mentor?

• Someone who offers you advice when you are trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and/or trying to move forward in your career. 
• The best professional mentors will have a job that you desire to do one day. 

What are the benefits of having a professional mentor?

• They'll teach you about what your desired job is actually like to help you figure out what you really want to do (before it's too late).
• They'll share their story and help make the job search less scary.
• They'll give you invaluable guidance on how to apply for jobs in your field, help you make further connections, and may even offer you an internship.
• If you're already in your career, your professional mentor can be in another field to help you make a career change, or can give you guidance on moving up in your current field. 

Where do you find a professional mentor?

• It's best to find a professional mentor who is doing a job you'd really like to do one day. If you work full-time already sometimes you can find a great mentor at your job, but this can be difficult when it comes to office politics. You'll usually feel more free to talk openly if it is someone outside your organization.
• The best way to find a professional mentor is to start by thinking of at least one job you would love to do. I recommend exploring InsideJobs.com if you're unsure. 
• Once you have the job title, start thinking about the local companies you'd like to work for that employ someone in that kind of job. Search their company website, LinkedIn, and/or a general internet search to find the e-mail address of someone in that job. Some positions are easier to find than others, but if you're dedicated, there is always a way.
• Never underestimate asking your family and friends (e.g. Facebook status) if they know anyone in a particular job you want to learn more about. This is the #1 way connections are made, and it changes everything. 

How do you get them to talk to you?

• Once you  have the e-mail address, send them a genuine message explaining (briefly) who you are, what makes you unique (e.g. college student, first generation, etc.), and why you admire them (be specific), and then ask if they would share their advice with you for 15 minutes in person (ideally) or on the phone. 
• When they respond (and more will respond than you realize), work around their schedule and pick a time and place. 

What do you do when you meet them?

• Though this sounds intimidating it is so easy. Because all you have to do is listen. 
• Ask them how they got to where they are today, what they love about their job, what is most challenging about their job, and what advice they have for you. Notice how you feel when they talk about their job. Does it spark your interest further?
• Take notes and thank them afterwards.

How do you keep up the mentorship relationship?

• Thank every professional mentor you meet with, and ask them if they wouldn't mind if you e-mailed them from time to time with quick questions as follow up to their advice. 
• If they say yes, act on one of the pieces of advice they gave you. Then e-mail them telling them how it helped, and ask another follow up question.
• Keep this up and a mentorship relationship is born and will come naturally. 

As much as possible, always start your mentorship relationships in person. Nothing can compare to the bond that is created when you look someone in the eye. However, when it comes to keeping up the relationship, e-mail works great. 

Good luck and as always feel free to send your questions to advice@communitycollegesuccess.com!

And for a more in-depth look on how to find professional mentors, including an e-mail template, how to follow up, a list of questions to ask, and more, you can check out my book on Amazon.com. 

An immigrant's journey to becoming a White House Executive: my interview with José Rico

If you watched my recent blog on the value of international students, you know I'm a huge admirer of students who come to the U.S. without knowing any English. I am astounded by them.

I recently interviewed one such individual who shared with me his hardships in coming to America, and how the mentors in his life and his passion for education helped him go from being placed in special education classes because he spoke Spanish to his appointment to the position of executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

José Rico moved from Mexico to Chicago with his family when he was seven years old. His elementary school did not have a bilingual education program; thus, he was put in special education classes because no one knew how to communicate with him. 

It's easy to understand why, as a child, José "hated school." 

He shuffled along in classes without learning much. "There weren't a lot of teachers who looked like me that I, or many of my classmates, could relate to."

"Like most immigrant parents, my parents got me ready for school everyday  and hoped for the best." Unfortunately,  it wasn’t just the communication barriers made it very difficult to bridge the gaps.  There were low expectations and a misunderstanding of Latino families.

"The school would send letters home in English, but my parents couldn't read them.  My parents’ worked long hours and very little was done to include them in their children’s education.  The biggest parent turnout was during class picture day. It usually happened towards the end of the school year and signaled a transition to the next grade.  Since we didn't have money to buy class pictures either, so all of the pictures from my childhood have the word 'proof' written across my face."

José laughed when he said this, and so did I.

But he didn't laugh much in his younger years. School continued to be a struggle as he got older and went to middle school. 

Then, one teacher made a difference in eighth grade, Mr. Tibitt.   José confirms: "If it hadn’t been for him, I think eighth grade would have been my last year in school."

When José was in 9th grade, tragedy struck.

José often walked to school with Ramon, his best friend in South Side of Chicago; one day, as they made their daily trek, his best friend was suddenly shot and killed by someone who had wrongly believed José's best friend was a gang member.  

"Unfortunately that happens too often," José said.  

Seeing his best friend killed before his eyes made school even harder. José was devastated. However, the tragedy led to the biggest turning point in his life: His eighth-grade teacher reached out to him again. Seeing José's struggle, this teacher arranged for José to get transferred to a magnet school—the kind of school his parents would never have known about.

José excelled in a school that really supported and guided its students in preparing for college; this is something José believes was essential in making him the first in his family to go to college.

Due to this supportive environment, José did very well in math and science, and scored well on the college entrance exams. This led to his acceptance at every college his counselor asked him to apply to, such as Harvard. 

However, choosing which college to attend was "easy" for José. He chose the University of Illinois because they gave him a guaranteed full ride scholarship. He would have had to pay $3,000 a year to attend Harvard. At the time, when his family was paying around $1,000 a year in rent, asking them to spend three-year’s rent in one year for his education was unimaginable.

José fell in love with University of Illinois. "The campus is huge and, growing up in the barrio, it was the nicest thing I'd ever seen in my life. You only had to share a room with one person; you could eat whenever you wanted, as much as you wanted; and you had free time after going to class just three hours a day! I had access to the latest technology, became friends with people from all over the world and had a world of possibilities open. I thought I had made it."

But once again, José found there weren't a lot of professors or students who looked like him. 

"I started to think: Wow, why don't more Latinos get to experience this privileged existence? So many of my friends who were smarter and more talented than me and who were really good people didn’t have the chance to go to college. I wondered: Why aren't they here too? It became an issue of equity for me."

Indeed, today, of all Hispanic adults in the U.S. over 25, only 14 percent have a bachelor’s degree.

One of the best parts about college is that it can be a place where your thinking expands and you can discover innovative solutions to the world’s problems. The best students often take action; that's what José did. He organized students to fight for a Latino studies program at the University of Illinois. Today it is one of their hallmark programs. 

José graduated from college with a degree in engineering. He had chosen the field because, "Back then, engineering was the way to get to the middle class and help your family; you could make $50,000 a year, which today would be close to $100,000."

So he got an engineering job after college. As José put it: "I was bored."

That summer, he volunteered to become a math and science tutor for high school students. "I fell in love with the idea of teaching; I wanted to contribute to the world by helping kids just like me go to college and have possibilities."

Much to the chagrin of his friends and family, José left engineering to become a high school science teacher in his old Chicago neighborhood.

"I went back to my old neighborhood because I knew that so many people in my community come from a world without possibilities; they can't see possibilities in front of them."

Many people thought José was crazy for leaving engineering for teaching. "At the highest point in my career I made $19,000 a year."

However, José had found a passion that was impossible to ignore; because of that, he brought possibility to this community.

In addition to being a high school teacher, José started a youth leadership program that trained students to find the other services they needed to make it through school (e.g., childcare, summer jobs, legal services, free clinics). His program caught the attention of Public Allies, where he trained young people to work in public service. 

After getting two master's degrees and becoming more involved in education training and access, José participated in a hunger strike to start a new high school: Chicago's Multicultural Arts High School. He was named the principal. 

In 2009, "My boss Michelle, from Public Allies, called me and said 'Hey do you want to come to D.C. and do some work with us?’ I said yes."

At this point I was so rapt with José's story that it wasn't until he talked for another 60 seconds that I had to interrupted him to ask: "wait, hold on a second, do you mean the Michelle? Michelle Obama was your boss at Public Allies?"

He said yes.

Today José works for the White House to "ensure that there are more Latinos who go through the education pipeline successfully so they can receive a quality preschool education all the way to college." As executive director, he advises President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on education policies and programs on how to best introduce and incorporate them into the Hispanic community.

"The Latino community places a high value on education, but the challenge is the lack of information, the coordination of resources to support things that work, and the leadership to make things happen a day-in and day-out ."

José has seen and heard many success stories, having visited more than 120 cities across the country to consult with leaders and gather feedback on what these communities need. 

One such success story involves Mayor Julian Castro, San Antonio, Texas, who made it a priority to raise the numbers of college graduates from 100,000 a year to 200,000. With a counselor ratio of 420-1, San Antonio has developed an innovative idea—a place called Café College located in the heart of downtown that provides free resources to help people get to college.

José believes many colleges are not equipped to give the support first-generation students desperately need. He said that both he and I "were lucky, because we had someone reach out to help us...but we shouldn't have to rely on that." 

This is so key. The primary reason I wrote my book was to give students the tools they need to find those people for themselves. We are so thankful for the teachers who reach out, and we should all be reaching out. However, we must also teach students to reach out for themselves, and understand the importance of having a strong community to help them thrive in college.

I can honestly say I've never been more personally inspired than when I talked to José on the phone. There aren't many principles I need to draw out for you because they are all so poignantly weaved throughout his story—his life. 

Notice the issues in the world around you while you're in college. Latch on to those that move you. Move forward no matter what people think. Take action. Do what you do best, and serve.

Learn more about how you can be a full-time paid apprentice with Public Allies.

Follow the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics on Facebook.

From college blogger to sports media star: my interview with J.E. Skeets

I recently interviewed the guy single-handedly responsible for helping me understand and enjoy sports talk television - J.E. Skeets. 

And his journey towards being an incredible (and young) co-founder of The Basketball Jones podcast and contributing NBA personality for The Score has a lot to teach college students (and all of us) about how to make money doing what you enjoy – even in a tough and competitive industry.

My interview with Skeets reveals what this incredible and continually rising sports media star did to get to where he is today – and do not be mistaken by the short length of this post. We are about to cover how Skeets has been working diligently towards this for the past 11 years. He’s also one of the nicest (and most engaging) people I’ve ever met.

His story holds many secrets to success. See if you can uncover them.

Could you tell me a little bit about your college journey?

“I took a year off after high school because I had NO idea what I wanted to do, or even if I wanted to go to college.” Skeets wanted to travel for a while, and in order to afford to do that, he worked in a factory for a year and saved his money while living at home. He then set off for Australia. Though as Skeets says “money goes fast when you’re traveling, so I ended up working on a tree farm in Australia for six months, but it was a great experience.” 

From there Skeets traveled to New Zealand and the Cook Islands.

This dreamy “I’m off to travel to find myself” is hard to do when you come from a low-income household, as Skeets did. But he made it happen with, what I find to be a trend throughout his life: really hard work and relentless dedication to a goal.

After traveling, Skeets got the idea that he wanted to work in TV, possibly writing and producing commercials. So when he returned home he applied to Ryerson University in Toronto, which had a great radio and television program.

In this hands-on program Skeets found his niche, and met Tas (co-host of The Basketball Jones) and JD (directory/producer). Instead of a thesis in this program, these three wrote and produced a full comic TV pilot (the DVD of which he promised to mail me....yess!)

What was your first job out of college, and how did it lead to where you are now? 

If this were a normal success story I would jump right to the point where Skeets and his friends’ podcast was purchased by a major network and they were all living-the-dream creating sports content and becoming overnight sports media stars.

But it’s what happens in between that that so many stories forget to mention. It’s glossed over and we read these stories and feel like failures. But there is hope. And Skeets had a lot to share about the hard, hard work that happened in between.

Skeets’ first job out of college was not a glamorous radio or television job. Like most post-grads, he needed to pay the bills. And thus, the flexible job he had while working in college – as a physician recruiter – is what he moved to full time once he graduated. He says simply: “Toronto is expensive.”

Even though Skeets did not want a career as a physician’s recruiter, this job worked for him because it was flexible. It allowed him to develop the podcast with his friends on the side.

And here lies the greatest lesson I learned from talking with Skeets.For anyone looking to do something outside the normal 9am-5pm job: you have to be willing to work 2 jobs (one without pay) for a long time.

Skeets and the other three guys all had day jobs and stayed up nights to produce their podcast. “It was really taxing,” Skeets said. “There were times we really wondered if we should give up because we weren’t making any money and our schedules were getting so hectic.”

They did a daily podcast for free for four years.

Think about that for a second. Four years. Two jobs. One income. No sleep.

This is what it takes. Too often that part is left out. But those who achieve that level of success never forget that part.

Eventually, their friend Matt graduated law school and was able to help them sell the show. As Skeets said: “It’s kind of hard to sell your own show. It’s weird to be all like ‘hey you should buy my show I think it’s really great.’” 

Today, you can see the work of Skeets, Tas, JD, Matt (and Trey and Leigh) in so many forms – their online show The Basketball Jones, their daily podcast and blog, and on the Canadian TV network The Score (shows I wish they had in the US, like Channel Surfing where they switch channels between games and give commentary). In addition, the NBA is starting to reach out to them to get them involved in what they are doing.

Skeets’ story was so engaging that I just had to ask him a few more burning questions:

What should my readers consider if they are thinking about starting something like a podcast, blog, vlog, or anything similar that relates to what they want to do for their future career?

“Just do it!” Skeets says. “Try it and see if it works for you. What’s the worst that can happen? If you don’t like it or find you’re not very good at it, it’s okay! It doesn’t cost anything.” And yet, if it does work, you never know what opportunities might come from it.

What’s really amazing is that you were picked up by AOL as a blogger in 2005, before many really knew what blogging was. You then were doing a podcast before many knew what podcasting was. I have to ask, what do you think is next in technology? 

“Well of course I can only speak for my area, but media is definitely getting more specialized; we have a show with two guys literally just talking about the NBA.TV is also going to be much more synonymous with your computer, and I think it’s going to be much more interactive. For example, you could watch a game on your computer and then choose which commentator you want to listen to. It will be more personalized.”

You guys seem to be the youngest of what I would classify as well-known sports commentators; what advice do you have for others who are hoping to find success while they are young, especially in industries that do not have a lot of young people. 

“Put in the work. Period. We do our homework. We really watch the games. It’s easy to tell when others do not. And we never try to be something we are not. We are fans, and we are happy to come from that perspective. The biggest compliment we get is when people tell us we sound like their buddies talking about the game at the bar.”

And just in case you got so caught up in Skeets’ story that you weren’t able to reflect on the incredible success secrets hidden within, I want to pull some of them out for you. I enjoyed talking to Skeets more than I can say, and he taught me that to succeed in your life, especially in a competitive industry, you need to:

...Understand market need: Skeets started a blog in 2005 when a friend bet him he couldn’t write every day. He found he enjoyed writing his blog, and would write about almost anything. When he wrote about sports, other websites were linking to him, and his traffic went through the roof. 

Skeets did something key here – he started writing more about sports. He noticed what content interested people the most, and he focused on that. 

Play at different things, and don’t be afraid to notice what has the most potential to help you make a living. You have to have some interest and talent in it, but you also have to match that with market need. Interests apart from market need are wonderful and should always be pursued - they just won't pay the rent. 

...Take risks to stay ahead: Skeets was always ahead of technology. And not necessarily on purpose. He was just active and unafraid to try something new, even if it was simply for a bet. Take risks. 

...Have a team: Skeets notes how vital it was to have other guys with him in the podcast production adventure. “There was always one optimist in the group, and who it was always changed,” he said. He also frequently raved about the talent and intelligence of the guys who work with him and how integral they've been to their current success. 

Even if your venture isn’t a team-venture, surround yourself with positive people who believe in what you are doing. Self-doubt inevitably follows great risk (especially creative risk), and a few positive words from a trusted friend are as good as gold. 

...Want it: It was obvious to me that Skeets is a really, really hard worker. He has such an engaging and fun personality, and yet it was so clear in his story that he and his team work really, really hard at what they do. And in order to work that hard at anything, you have to really want it. They wanted this, and that is what kept them going for so long, even when things were tough.

Ask yourself if what you're pursuing in your life right now is something you really, really want. If the desire is absent, the necessary hard work can be difficult to muster. 

...Enjoy it: Hard work definitely will not always be fun. But on some level, especially when you’re working two jobs, you’ll want to make sure you really enjoy your side-venture. Have fun with what you are doing. 

Check out an episode of The Basketball Jones (see below), and I promise, even if you aren’t into sports, you will enjoy yourself just be seeing how much these guys enjoy what they do.

*Update 10/2/2013: Hard work pays off. Skeetz and his team are now officially on NBA TV!

You can follow Skeets on Twitter.

The secret to success for the undecided

Almost all of the highly successful professionals I’ve ever talked to have admitted that they are still trying to figure out what to be when they grow up.

But studies show that not having a direction is not a good strategy for success. Simply wandering doesn’t work.

But that doesn’t mean you always have to have it figured out. And that is what most successfully undecided professionals have figured out how to do, both in college and beyond.

I recently interviewed the incredible difference-maker Kristen Cambell, who admits she had no idea what she wanted to do in college. Her journey holds the secrets to evolving your career and moving forward, even when you’re unsure.

Kristen is the Chief Program Officer for National Conference on Citizenship, a 67-year-old nonpartisan nonprofit organization that was chartered by congress in 1953 and is dedicated to increasing civic engagement across the country.

Kristen attended college at East Central University in Oklahoma. She had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, and – like many – changed her major many times. Kristen even admits today she still sometimes finds herself unsure of where she wants her life to go.

As she put it, she has a diversity of interests and skills and is excited by the many opportunities she can create (and that might be created) that may not fit into traditional buckets.

And this is key – because even for those who might feel very decided about your future, you’ll always want to be willing, open and flexible. We live in the most rapidly changing economy in history, and we have to be willing to adapt a wide variety of strengths and interests to meet those changing economic needs.

Yet like most of us, Kristen still knew it was important to choose a major and have a direction. How did she choose?

She was inspired by her professors.

The professors who taught the courses in mass communication inspired Kristen. She wanted to learn from them and could see herself emulating their careers. Kristen said, “I still carry this through in my professional career. A lot of the people I work with and for now are people I truly admire and respect.”

Kristen was so thankful for the personal attention she received from her professors, and attributes much of her success to that early mentorship and guidance: “My professors didn’t just teach me skills, they taught me how to be a thoughtful person, a critical thinker, and to think about how information can teach me about how I want to live my life.”

Kristen graduated with her degree in mass communication in 2004 and got a job in advertising. As she put it: “I really felt like something was missing emotionally in that job. I felt like I had a larger calling then helping business owners raise their sales of candles 10% that quarter. I didn’t feel like I was making best impact I could with my personality, time, and talents.”

It’s not that advertising jobs are bad. It’s just Kristen could feel it wasn’t for her. But it’s what she did next that has led her to where she is today. It’s what she did next that too many people are afraid to do, and then get stuck.

Kristen left her job. She then joined Americorps VISTA, the national service program specifically designed to fight poverty through contributing to a wide variety of community service programs.

Americorps brought her to Washington DC where she worked with a faith-based institution on their volunteer recruitment, and then served on the planning committee for the International Conference on Faith and Service. An executive for the Case Foundation was also on that board, and hired Kristen after seeing her great work. After a few years there, she was ready for a new challenge with the National Conference on Citizenship.

The key here? Kristen noticed her feelings, made a leap, and kept working hard. It’s as simple as that. The hard part is the courage and persistence this requires.

Kristen’s advice she wished someone would have given her in college? “Don’t try to rush it and appreciate the journey you are on right now. Learn where you are, and continue to figure out how to balance your long term goals with the present, without devaluing either.”

And the final thing to draw from Kristen’s story. Can you guess? (Again, I swear I don’t script these or try to get them to say this…)

Mentorship. 

It’s just key to success. Everywhere I look, it’s just there.

(The exact question I ask in these interviews is: “What is one thing you think my college student readers should do as soon as they finish reading this article in order to be more successful?” I’ve been amazed at how often the answer has been mentorship.)

Kristen’s take is really great: “sometimes we think mentorship is walking up awkwardly to a 50-year-old man and asking him to ‘be our mentor’ in some structured way. Someone once told me mentors should be like your personal board of directors; people you can talk honestly with, ask for guidance, and trust. Just like boards of directors are carefully chosen, you should be intentional about finding mentors in your life.”

Talking through new decisions and confused paths is also one of the best conversations with a mentor. So if you’re undecided:

1. breathe

2. tell someone

3. do something

4. ask for advice

5. keep experimenting

For more information about working in the nonprofit world, Kristen recommended these websites:

NGen – Developing next generation of nonprofit leaders

Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy

Young Non-Profit Professionals Network

And I recommend you check out Americorps VISTA as well to learn what it’s all about and see if it’s something you might want to consider when you graduate. It’s a great option for the lost and undecided (i.e. all of us).

For more interviews with interesting professionals you can check out previous posts below. If you also know of someone who you think is a really amazing and admirable professional,or would like me to talk to someone in a specific profession, e-mail me the info and I'll try to get in touch!

Jennifer Mascia, New York Times Journalist

Lucas Boyce, NBA Executive

Jason McIntyre, Founder of The Big Lead

Jeff Selingo, Editor of Chronicle of Higher Education

Ashkon and Stephanie, Founders of StudentMentor.org

Mark Babbitt, Founder of YouTern.com