Q: About three years ago I interned at a major record label and there was a woman there that I truly looked up to but I never had the guts to speak to (I’m a bit shy). I recently found out that the woman moved to another record label and is now the executive vice president of marketing. I really want her to be my mentor, but I am not sure how to go about it. The other day I noticed that she had a MySpace page — would it be o.k. if I contact her through that? And what on Earth would I say? I still keep in brief contact with her previous assistant via instant message, but I am not comfortable with asking for her help because I don’t want her to feel like I am using her. Please help!
A: I think you should ask the woman’s previous assistant to make an introduction. Although I understand your concern, I would urge you to think of this as “networking” rather than “using.”
The key is making sure that you offer your support for the assistant. For instance, you could say, “Would you be willing to introduce me (by email or by a phone call) to your former boss? I’m really excited about starting a career in the musing industry and I would love to set up an informational interview chat with her to ask for some advice. If you’re comfortable making an introduction, I would be really grateful. And please let me know if there is anything I can do to help your career.”
Otherwise, I think you could contact the woman with a nice email through her MySpace page (just nicely asking for an informational interview – maybe 15 minutes by phone). But I think a personal introduction will get you a much warmer response, and could lead to a longer-lasting mentorship relationship.
