How to Find the Right Tech Mentor for Your Goals

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Get career guidance and advice from tech industry veterans

Co-authored by Lisa Pachence, MCC and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: February 26, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Finding a Tech Mentor
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• Do I need a tech mentor?
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• How to Approach a Mentor
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• Video
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• Tips

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If you're just dipping your toes into programming, networking, cybersecurity, AI, or another tech field, the road ahead might seem daunting. Whether you're early in your tech career or still trying to figure out how to start your career, a great tech mentor can help you hone your skills, network with professionals, and even help you find job leads. In this article, we'll show you the best ways to find tech mentors online, IRL, and even in your community. We also spoke with career coaches and tech experts about whether you need a mentor (spoiler: you do!) and how to start a mentor-mentee relationship.

Finding a Tech Mentor: Fast Facts

• Sign up for mentor-specific websites like ADPList, MentorCruise, CodeMentor, and GDEXA to match with a tech mentor in your field.
• You can find tech experts willing to mentor you on LinkedIn, in forums like Codidact and StackExchange, and on tech Discord servers and subreddits.
• Before asking someone to be your mentor, it's important to build rapport first.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Where to Find a Tech Mentor

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   Tech mentor websites. One of the best ways to find a tech mentor is by using a tech-specific mentoring website. All the mentors on these sites have specifically signed up to be mentors, which means they're all willing to share their knowledge. Some well-rated mentor resources include:

   • Amazing People Design List (ADPList) - Find mentors in all areas of tech, including design, marketing, and data science.
   • CodeMentor - Connect with expert programmers who tutor up-and-coming developers.
   • Cyversity - Meet cybersecurity professionals who provide 1-on-1 mentorship.
   • Design Buddies - Join a community of UX and graphic designers to find your ideal mentor.
   • GDEXA - Find a tech mentor and access free tech job hunting resources.
   • GrowthMentor - Get mentored by startup veterans, marketing experts, and skilled product managers.
   • Hexagon UX - A UX-specific tech mentorship resource for women and non-binary people.
   • IGotAnOffer - Find online mentors in all areas of the tech industry.
   • Meet-a-Mentor - Find a mentor in the UK tech industry.
   • MentorCruise - Meet 1-on-1 mentors and career coaches in the tech industry.
   • Merit - Network with experienced mentors and hiring managers in tech.
   • Out In Tech - A free mentorship program for LGBTQ+ youth (18-25).
   • Preplaced - Find an online tech mentor in the Indian tech industry.
   • Women in Tech Mentoring - A place for women in tech to network with experienced mentors.
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   LinkedIn. LinkedIn is full of tech career professionals, most of whom are eager to network with others in their fields. It's also a great place to find a mentor, as many LinkedIn professionals are happy to share information about their experience. If you're not already on LinkedIn, create an account, and edit your profile to list your interests, skills, and goals.

   • To find potential mentors on LinkedIn, start by following and engaging with professionals who share their content. Liking, commenting on, and sharing their posts is a great way to show interest.
   • If you come across someone who seems like they'd be a good mentor, join groups they participate in, and engage with them in these spaces.
   • When you decide you want to reach out, send a personalized connection request. To do this, initiate the connection request, click Add a note, and explain why you're interested in them as a mentor.
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   Tech-specific online communities. The tech mentor you're looking for might be answering questions and giving advice in places like Reddit, Discord, and various forums. To find them, join online communities that focus on the areas of tech that interest you. Spend time reading through the posts and messages in the forum, asking questions, and jumping in to help when you can. As you get to know the community members, you might come across someone who has the qualities you're looking for in a mentor.

   • Codidact - An open source Q&A platform with communities for various tech interests. Popular communities include Software Development, Linux Systems, and Power User.
   • StackExchange - A network of tech Q&A communities full of pros and novices alike. Some active communities are StackOverflow (for programmers), Unix & Linux, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Server Fault (for system and network administrators), Software Engineering, Game Development, Information Security, Data Science, and User Experience (UX).
   • Hackaday - A community for hardware developers.
   • Spiceworks - A community for IT professionals.
   • Discord communities like The Odin Project (web developers), Python, OpenAI, Learn AI Together, Next.js, Cyberverse (ethical hacking), Information Technology, and OutInTech.
   • Subreddits like /r/MachineLearning, /r/QuantumComputing, /r/Cybersecurity, /r/ArtificialIntelligence, /r/ITCareerQuestions, /r/devops, /r/cloudcomputing, /r/datascience, and /r/UXdesign are frequented by industry professionals and are also great places to ask questions.
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   Join tech organizations. There are tons of organizations for tech professionals to network, gain certifications, access career resources, and connect with mentors. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find local tech organizations to join (search the web for your city and "tech organization"). You can also join larger organizations, like:

   • ISACA - A professional career-building organization for people in cybersecurity and IT.
   • IEEE Computer Society - A community of engineers, academics, scientists, and tech industry professionals.
   • ISSA - A community for cybersecurity professionals.
   • Out In Tech - Network with LGBTQ+ people in the tech industry.
   • Women in Tech - Meet and share information with women in the tech industry.
   • SaasStr - A community for entrepreneurs, investors, and B2B professionals.
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   Go to tech events and meetups. If you live in a metropolitan area, search the web for tech events, conferences, and meetups in your area. These events are great places to learn, find out about career opportunities, and meet potential tech mentors. In addition to local events, consider visiting larger tech conferences, including:

   • Better Software Conference is a yearly conference for software developers who want to design quality software.
   • Big Sky Dev is a large yearly tech convention in Bozeman, Montana.
   • Devoxx is an annual tech conference for developers with events throughout Europe and Asia.
   • Defcon is a long-running annual hacker convention in Las Vegas, NV.
   • Google I/O is an annual developer conference hosted by Google in the San Francisco Bay Area.
   • Microsoft maintains a list of events, both on and offline worldwide, for learning, networking, and more.
   • Women Who Code summits are New York-based gatherings and networking opportunities for women who, well, write code.
   • Web Summit is a yearly European technology conference in Lisbon.
   • PyCon is a series of conferences for Python programmers across the globe.
   • Bookmark this list of tech events to keep track of upcoming events, both on and offline.
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Section 2 of 3:

Do I need a tech mentor?

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1. 
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   Career coach Lisa Pachence, MCC, stresses the importance of mentorship. "Mentorship is very important because it allows you to form a connection with someone that you trust who has gone before you and can provide a pathway for you to move forward," she says.

   • Keep in mind that your mentor's path may not necessarily be the same as your path. "It's important for you to find a mentor who can also empower you to find your own path," she says. "The mentors out there who will just teach you their way, and that their way is 'the right way', may not be the best for you."
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   Career coach Madeline Mann agrees, especially for technical fields. "You certainly want to talk to people in those fields and get a very clear picture of which skills and certifications are legitimately helpful to land that initial role," she says. "So many people have moved into this career path before you," says career coach Madeline Mann. "So talk to them, get their blueprint, and follow it."
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   A good tech mentor will keep you on track. "As a software engineer who's just starting out, it's really important to get good mentorship to grow professionally," says software engineer Ken Koster, MS. "Software is just so complicated; how to develop it, how to deploy it, how to test it, and how to make sure you're building the right software and not the wrong software. A tech mentor will help you shape your judgment."
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Section 3 of 3:

How to Ask Someone to Mentor You in Tech

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1. 
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   Consider what you're looking for in a tech mentorship. Before you approach someone, it's important to know what type of guidance you're looking for (and why you want that guidance) so you can ask your potential mentor for something concrete. What do you want to learn from a mentor? What are your goals? What's in the way for you? Some things a mentor may be able to help with:

   • Answer technical questions.
   • Introduce you to other people in your field.
   • Help you decide on an appropriate career path.
   • Explain which skills are needed in your chosen career path.
   • Share job leads.
   • Share tools and resources to help you succeed.
   • Help you avoid mistakes.
   • Help you set and accomplish goals.
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   Build rapport first. If the person you've identified as a potential mentor is not specifically a mentor (as in, you're not meeting them in a mentor-specific setting), don't ask them for mentorship right away; they may see it as too out-of-the-blue, or too much of a commitment to give to a person they don't know yet. If you've seen the person speak at a conference, heard (or read) them give advice, teach, or explain things to people, or have seen work of theirs that you're interested in, tell them how valuable that information has been for you. If you're impressed by their skills in a certain area, their place in their career, or even their job title, let them know. This starts the conversation without asking for a huge commitment.
   EXPERT TIP

   

   Lisa Pachence, MCC

   Career Coach

   Lisa Pachence is a Master Certified Coach, an Executive Life Coach, Career Consultant, and the Founder of LP Coaching based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With over nine years of professional coaching experience and 10 years in Recruiting and HR, Lisa specializes in supporting under-fulfilled overachievers to overcome cycles of burnout and stress and have a big life with big impact. Lisa is also a Mentor Coach with the International Coach Federation, is Certified in Emotional Intelligence and Trauma Informed Leadership, and runs a thriving community of trained professional coaches. She received her B.A. in Anthropology, Spanish, and Economics from Bucknell University.

   

   Lisa Pachence, MCC
   Career Coach

   You don't want to just ask them to be your mentor. If you don't have a good relationship with them, developing a relationship with them first is important.
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   Send a short message asking if they're willing to answer questions. Once you've established rapport, asking them to share their knowledge will feel less intimidating and awkward. Ask your potential mentor if they'd be willing to answer a question or two before you actually ask those questions. If your potential mentor agrees, this will start a conversation that could lead to a natural way to ask for further mentorship.

   • If they agree to answer your question(s), keep your question(s) concise. Don't ask for something that will take them all day to answer. Remember, you're talking to a busy professional!
   • If they respond positively, thank them for their time, and be sure to let them know they've been helpful. This can encourage them to invest in helping you succeed.
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   Ask if you can "pick their brain" from time to time. If your potential mentor has provided helpful answers to your questions so far, let them know how valuable that help has been, and ask them for permission to ask occasional questions in the future. If they agree, you've got a potential mentor!

   • Always be respectful of your mentor's time. Applying too much pressure and asking too many questions could lead them to deinvest in you.
   • Not sure what to ask? Check out these 60 questions to ask a mentor!
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   Ask for something more formal if needed. Once you've established a relationship, you can ask for a specific type of guidance. Be clear about your goals, and explain why you think their mentorship would be helpful.

   • Pachence suggests saying something like, "Hey, I'm really needing a mentor in this position to navigate [your issue]. Would you be willing to mentor me a bit around some things that are tough for me?”
   • She also suggests that, in the same conversation, you explain where your blocks are. "What are you struggling with? What might be things that you fear you might get wrong?" This will give your mentor a better idea of how they can help you.
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Tips

• If you're already working a tech job, consider finding a mentor within the company. Ask your coworkers to introduce you to people in roles you'd love to fill someday. Once you build rapport, they'll surely be willing to help you succeed.
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• You may also be able to find a tech mentor on social media. Is there a YouTuber or TikToker you always turn to for tech advice? Start a conversation!
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