How To Get A Freelancing Mentor
Are you looking for a freelancing mentor?
Look — we all know that reaching out to people is one of the best ways to learn,
But, that doesn’t mean you should just spam message people you follow, desperately asking if you can “pick their brain” or “learn from their secret sauce.”
(Yes, these are real requests I have gotten, and no, I did not feel particularly inclined to reply).
Also what the world is secret sauce?? Plz never message someone this.
So, how do you actually go about landing a high-achieving freelancer as a mentor and friend?
The correct way to get a freelancing mentor
The answer is not to ask outright — very few people actually want to take on official “mentees” to their task list.
So, here are a few of the tips I have used to build out my professional network to include close, personal relationships with successful freelancers I admire:
#1 — Do not come out of the gate guns a-blazing
General rule of thumb: don’t message someone you admire for the first time asking them to be your mentor.
They will likely not reply, or will say no if they do. This type of message often comes across desperate and intense, which is not the vibe we are going for.
#2 — Follow, subscribe to, and engage with their content
If you are reaching out to someone, you first need to be a regular consumer of their content.
Not only does this give you more specific questions to ask, but it also shows that you have done your “homework” when it comes to valuing their insight, which goes a long way.
#3 — Don’t immediately ask for a reference or opportunity to work
Unless the person has specifically asked, never send your work to or ask a freelancer you admire to put you on their list of writers.
They do not know you or your experience, and you are not pitching your services to them. This often comes across as salesy and disingenuous.
#4 — Ask thoughtful, nuanced questions when you do reach out
Vague questions are never the move when reaching out to people you want to learn from.
Things like “I’d love to hear how you got started!” or “can you tell me more about medical writing?” seem like polite and nice questions, but they actually put a lot of mental work on the recipient.
How do they respond to this?
Instead, opting for more direct questions about a specific topic, like “I say your post about Upwork pitching. I was wondering — do you use a template to write your proposals?” is so so SO much better.
It’s clear, it shows you know their content, and it shows you are actually interested in the craft. Do this every time you reach out to a freelancer, and you will get a much higher response rate.
#5 — Keep it short and sweet
Please don’t send an email or DM novel to anyone. They don’t need to know your life story.
Instead, I like to lead with a polite opening, a complement of their work, and a brief, specific question. Messages less than five sentences are best for actually getting responses.
#6 — Always respect their right to say no
Even if you follow these instructions, it is still possible that you will not get a reply. And that’s ok!
Not everyone has the capacity to answer questions, and not everyone is interested in building their network.
Respect this, and do not double, triple, or quadruple message someone. Instead, keep engaging with their content and expand your circle of influence to find other people who may be interested in connecting.
Finding a quality mentor will not happen overnight
At the end of the day, just like any other meaningful relationship in your life, building a professional friendship with someone you admire is a slow process.
You cannot force someone to be your best friend in a single day. The same is true for professional mentorships.
I hope this list helps you reach out and interact with freelancers who inspire you in a more productive and effective way — more often than not, I have found that the freelance writing community is full of kind and helpful people willing to answer questions and give support.
(As long as you know how to ask correctly)
Hope this helps and best of luck!