How to get a mentor—ad professionals share advice for building these relationships

This is the second part of Ad Age’s two-part series on agency mentorship programs. Read part one here. With junior agency professionals recently calling for more mentorship and training, Ad Age interviewed multiple advertising executives on how exactly employees should go about finding a mentor. Many agencies have established mentorship programs specifically for introducing into the industry more people of color and professionals from underrepresented backgrounds, who didn’t have previous exposure to advertising. See our 2023 Marketers of the Year here But there are many young agency employees in need of mentorship who do not have the opportunity to go through those programs, especially in an environment where more people are working remotely and could use extra guidance and support. “I believe that mentorship parallels to the African proverb: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,’” said Omo Ogbomo-Williams, VML’s senior HR manager of equity, inclusion and belonging. “In the world of advertising, relationships are at the core of how we get our work done. Building connections and having a mentor to share insights and wisdom is crucial for navigating the nuances of our industry.” Finding a good mentor in a frenzied ad business can be tough. Ad Age spoke with advertising executives and talent experts who provided advice for people looking to get a mentor. Below are some highlights. Figure out your goals Everyone seeking a mentor should first work out why they want one, said Aimee Pagano, VML’s global head of talent. “First determine what your goal is,” Pagano said. “Is it to focus on career advancement in your current field, or make a change into a desired field? Is it for personal development? Maybe both? Land on what you hope to achieve first so that you can target the right mentor and be able to clearly articulate what you hope to gain.” When you are intentional with your goals for what you want in a mentor, the outcomes are better. Megan Beatty, human resources manager for marketing communications agency Taylor, said a mentor she had a few years ago was a great resource because she was a mother and Beatty was a soon-to-be mother. Plus, Beatty was switching career paths to HR and her mentor had also had a big career change in her professional history. “Choose mentors that align with the person you want to be, where you are trying to go, and someone who will care about your professional goals and your personal goals,” Beatty said. Charity Pourhabib—a brand manager for Wieden+Kennedy and the creator of the agency’s “ADMagic” mentorship program for current students enrolled in historically Black Colleges and Universities—said mentees should also be realistic about what they expect to get out of a mentorship. “One person can’t do everything for you,” she said, “but maybe they can help put you in rooms or maybe there’ll be another person who can send you links and books.” Get connected Network with as many people as you can. “You should research and get connected with as many people in the space as possible,” Pagano said. “Ask your manager, your colleagues, professional networking groups, professors or alumni groups for recommendations and introductions.” Copy veteran and branding consultant Vikki Ross said it’s not difficult to track anyone down these days, especially with the access social media provides. “Pretty much everyone’s email address is available all over the internet, somewhere somehow,” Ross said. “Do a bit of spec work and, say it’s for Coca-Cola, look on LinkedIn for the [executive creative director] at Coca-Cola, in-house or at an agency that they work with. Then email that person and say, ‘Look what I did’ and start a conversation. Even if they don’t give you a job, you’ve made a connection with someone who could be really key to your career later.” She said most people will be open to these interactions. More news: The rise of agency chief marketing and brand officers “Don’t be afraid to just say hello and connect with people,” said Francis Carrero-Green, VML’s senior talent development manager, equity, inclusion and belonging and learning, growth and experiences. “Reach out to the people you meet at conferences and at different events. Show up as yourself (professionally) and be ready to tell your story, i.e., your personal elevator pitch. Remember to connect on a human level. Though advertising seems like a big industry, it isn’t; many people cross paths throughout their career journeys and experiences.” Beatty added that it’s important to ensure your mentorship network is broad and is “not a palindrome of yourself,” but one that “will offer diversity of thought, new ways of thinking.” Think outside the box Sometimes the best mentors are not in positions levels above your own, but your peers. Ashley Rutstein is a freelance creative director, part-time instructor at portfolio school Denver Ad School and a TikTok creator who posts informational videos on how to break into the ad industry under @StuffAboutAdvertising. She said that when she was looking to make a jump from social media to copywriting she found a copywriter friend and peer in the industry to mentor her. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ash | Advertising, Copywriting (@stuffaboutadvertising) “I had a lot of social campaign kind of stuff I could put in my portfolio, but as far as copywriting specific, I had to make spec work for that,” she said. “So [my mentor] gave me photocopies of a textbook that he had from school. He said, ‘Here’s how to write a headline.’ I would write some stuff. He’d give me feedback.” She said that experience allowed her to land a copywriting job. “A lot of people think [a mentor] has to be someone really high up,” Rutstein said. “But I like the idea of people talking to other juniors who are just now getting into the industry or someone who is maybe not manager level yet. It’s more relevant to them.” Beatty said reverse mentorship, in which a professional receives guidance from someone more junior, should also be considered. “Teachings can come from many different sources—you just have to be ready to receive it,” she said. Read more: Agencies still rely on portfolio schools for hiring It’s a two-way street Those starting out in the industry need to also think about what they can give back to their mentor, Pagano said. “It should be a two-way street.” Pourhabib said mentors get just as much out of W+K’s ADMagic program as the students do. She said mentors in the program, for example, improve skills such as managing people, and that every mentee should ask themself how they are helping their mentors lead them. “How do you help them mentor you?” Pourhabib said. “What do you bring to the table so that it’s not just a take or transactional relationship? That’s where you can really utilize your community and pull out tools that help you level up. It’s learning on both fronts."

How to get a mentor—ad professionals share advice for building these relationships

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