One of my mentors invited me along on client interviews with one of my mentors. He took notes while I asked questions, and I learned how to ask better questions.

We’re doing this because you can’t learn consulting in school. You have to do it to learn. Learning consulting skills under a mentor’s guidance is much better than getting pushed out on solitary engagements and figuring all of this stuff on your own.

I wonder: why can I tell tons of stories about wonderful learning experiences when other people have such a hard time finding mentors? And what can we do to help more people connect?

One of my mentors said that visibility plays a big role. You have to get yourself into a position to be noticed by people who can mentor.

The mentor who’s been teaching me about interviews said that people have to want to invest in you.

Blogging and public speaking get me out there. Passion and enthusiasm help me connect with other people who care.

What would it take for more people to experience this?

Things that work well for me:

• I share what I'm interested in, which makes it easier for people to help me.
• I share what I'm learning, which gives mentors more return on their effort.
• I ask lots of people for help, and I learn a lot from other people's experiences.

Hmm….