A mentor can help propel your career, but finding one can be difficult. Use these tactics to enlist someone who can provide the guidance you need to succeed.

Whether you are just starting out or have years of experience, having a mentor—an experienced person in your field who can guide, motivate, and educate you—can help you reach your professional goals. But recruiting a mentor who is the right fit can be challenging: 76 percent of people think it’s important to have a mentor but only 37 percent have one, according to an Olivet Nazarene University study.

How to begin

As you progress in your professional life, it will be helpful to have an experienced and supportive person on your side who can be a sounding board, offer perspective when you face big decisions, and give you the contacts and resources you need to advance in your career. To find the best mentor for this point in your life, envision what you would like to accomplish and determine the skills you will need. It might be helpful to first focus on the next five years so you can pinpoint a mentor who can be most helpful to you now. As you move up the ladder, your mentoring needs may change, and it may be best to recruit new mentors.

Where to look

There are many places where you can look for an individual who can skillfully mentor and support you. Cheryl Gilbert, quality control advisor of development and expansion for IKEA Indonesia, says she has sought the advice of various mentors throughout her professional life and suggests first searching your own extended network of contacts for a mentor. This network could include your business associates, friends, family, neighbors, and former classmates. These individuals may be able to mentor you or may know of someone who could. Business associations and clubs are other good sources for a mentor. You could also try contacting the human resources department at your employer or the alumni office for your alma mater, as both may already have mentoring programs in place. If they don’t, they still could identify individuals who may be able to serve as your mentor. If you own a small business, SCORE is a nationwide network of volunteer business mentors that could pair you with a suitable mentor.

Find the right person

The next step in your search is to identify an individual who could give you applicable career advice. Such a person could be just a few or many years ahead of you in their careers, and each will have their own unique perspectives to share; the former will have recent experience that may be helpful, while someone who is much further along might be able to help with both your immediate goals and your distant ones. Your mentor doesn’t have to work in your field, either—you could consider recruiting someone with a background in an area in which you could use advice, such as how to manage cash flow, hire staff, or improve customer service. Look for a mentor who has the willingness and time to work with you, is easy to talk to, and is somebody you admire.

Reach out

Once you have identified a potential mentor, reach out via text, email, phone, or social media. Share that you admire their work and would be interested in a quick conversation or meeting. You might not want to bring up the word “mentor” right away; you should first determine if your contact would be interested in mentoring you—bringing it up point blank is a big ask for a huge commitment. If you do secure a chat or meeting, “interview them to see if they are a good fit,” Gilbert says. “If the mentor spends the first session lecturing you, run. Your mentor should be interested in what you want and need.” Be sure to follow up afterward with a short note of thanks, a quick text, or an email.

Let a relationship develop

If your initial conversation with a potential mentor goes well, ask for another meeting. When you get together again, keep it casual and conversational; you don’t want to ask for too much too soon. Building a mentoring relationship takes time and can’t be forced. Just as in any relationship, both parties must be interested, communicate well, and get along well for it to work. If your second meeting is positive, consider asking the person if they would be open to mentoring you—successful individuals are often happy to help others rise through the ranks. From the very beginning, discuss what you want from the relationship, how often you’d like to meet, the advice you’ll be seeking, and whether you’ll want their guidance for important career decisions. This way, you can determine whether they are truly open to such a commitment. As your mentoring relationship develops, regularly assess how it’s going for both of you, and remember to be gracious for the assistance and time they devote to you.

TAKE ACTION: Honestly evaluate your career and areas you need to improve, and begin your search for a mentor today.