So-called mentors

[Todd Bayer]

Is there such thing as a mentor who doesn't charge to teach you how to partner up with them? What ever happened to people who just want to "pay it forward" and genuinely help someone out?

[J Scott]

Originally posted by William Bronchick:

...people don't expect their doctor, accountant or attorney to work for free, so why would they expect a mentor to work for free?

Because, by-definition, in the professional world, mentors generally don't charge for their services.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with charging for your services (that's what free-market is all about), but don't delude yourself into thinking you're a mentor when you do this.

When you charge for your expertise and training, you are a private trainer, not a mentor.

Again, absolutely nothing wrong with that, but the distinction is very important in the professional world...

As for why more people don't mentor (i.e., give training for free), it's because those who mentor often have a vested interest (though generally not monetary) in those that are being mentored. A father mentoring his son, a boss mentoring his star employee, a friend mentoring another friend are all common examples of mentoring relationships.

The common thread in most mentoring situations is an underlying relationship between the mentor and mentee.

When someone shoots someone else an unsolicited email asking for mentorship, the mentor doesn't have any vested interest (i.e., no relationship) in the person asking.

That said, your options are generally two-fold:

1. Hire a private trainer;

2. Build a strong personal relationship with someone who may one day serve as a mentor, and wait.

I've mentored many people across a couple different industries, and the common thread has always been a vested interest in the other person succeeding. This comes from having a relationship with the other person, not them asking for mentorship...

Obviously, just my $.02...