Can anyone point me in the right direction? I would like to try and find a mentor external to my organisation, in my field of interest (procurement) and unsure how to do this, short of randomly mailing people on LinkedIn who are high ranking procurement pros at large companies. I don't think this approach will yield much results, if any.
Any help would be fantastic. Please and thank you. I think this would benefit my career massively and would take another small step into progressing in this field.
First off - love that you're thinking about ways to grow and develop yourself. So good to see folks taking the reigns vs. waiting for someone to hand them the answer.. kudos to you!
Secondly - this is a great question and one that we see frequently. At the highest level, we recommend starting wider than just a single mentor for your learning. Here's two strategies that can unlock a ton of potential:
1. Finding resources that are already out there | Learning and growth doesn't always have to come from 1x1 time with an individual. There's a ton of free resources that Procurement companies and experts provide (a quick google search of "Procurement Development" got me this white paper for free), that can go a long way to help you expand your knowledge without having to rely on an individual.
2. Finding like minded folks | I'm not sure if you're found Procurious yet, but after a quick search, I was able to find this community of 45k+ people in the Procurement field who connect through events, mentorship, etc. This might be a great place for you to start engaging (meaning show up to events, comment on posts, etc.) and start to get your name out there. It won't lead to a 1x1 mentor overnight, but it could be a really powerful way for you to expand your perspective and your network over time.
Good luck.. rooting for you!
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