You Don’t Need a Mentor to Get the Career Advice You Need

Mentors are great for your career, especially when you’re in the early stages. But finding senior leaders with the time and interest to support you can be hard. Young professionals often have abundant—but easily overlooked—opportunities for what the authors call “micro-mentorship”: short, actionable advice that can make a tangible difference. Professors, former teaching assistants, and family friends, for example, are hidden mentors. Gaining broader insights from interesting, thoughtful strangers can be just as pivotal as interactions with the hidden mentors you already know. It may feel challenging if you don’t have a mentor guiding your career development on an ongoing basis. But micro-mentoring can be just as beneficial as cultivating a single mentor.