So, once you actually have a mentor or a sponsor (we will call them the same thing here), how do you use them? What is the appropriate amount of time that is expected to be taken/given in the exchange?
There are official mentorship programs that schools and special interest groups put together. Some companies actually have internal mentorship programs, which is something that I strongly suggest you research. Remember you must use the mentor’s time and energies very judiciously. You can’t abuse their time and you should also assess a value for the effort they give.
If you are expecting to take somebody out for lunch, that’s an hour and a half of contribution, two hours, if you consider the fact that they’re walking to and from the lunch, which might be a very aggressive expectation for the first meeting. Start with a quick coffee or even a telephone call. And in exchange, they need to get something from you in return such that there is a value for them in it as well.
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