We all know that traditional mentors—senior professionals who take an interest in you and your future—can help in the job search. They have extensive experience, know the terrain, and are likely far better connected than you are. But finding a mentor isn’t easy—and even if you do have one, it may not be enough to help you in the current job market. With nearly a quarter of recent college grads currently unemployed, it’s important to think creatively about how to get the support you need to meet the current moment—and one overlooked resource is the support of peer mentors.
In our research—Alexis as a developmental psychologist focused on college to career transitions and Dorie as a corporate adviser and keynote speaker—we’ve identified the importance of finding “mirror mentors”: peers who know you well and can offer personal guidance and insight as you look for your next job. By cultivating a small “mentor pod” of peers who are also looking for work, you can help each other think creatively about your goals and job options, polish your materials together, and provide emotional support along the way—independent of whether you have access to a traditional mentor or not.
Indeed, in some aspects, mirror mentors may even be more useful to you. Traditional mentors are typically in demand senior professionals who are unlikely to have the time or bandwidth to provide emotional support or get to know you on as deep a level as your friends. Here are three ways we’ve found that peer mentors can be transformative in your job search journey.
1. Sourcing opportunities
It’s common knowledge that most people rely on their social network to help them in their job search. But what’s less appreciated is that friends and acquaintances—in addition to vouching for you when you apply for jobs where they have a connection—can also surface job openings that were never on your radar in the first place. For instance, there might be an internal job board at their company, so they’re able to tip you off about new openings. Indeed, the “hidden job market“—roles that never appear on public job boards—can account for up to 70% of open positions, so relying on your social network to help source open positions is key. Peer mentors can also be on the lookout for relevant public job postings; Alexis alerted one friend to a job posting on LinkedIn that was perfect for her. Somehow, the friend had never seen it, but she applied and ultimately landed the role.
Your “mirror mentors” can also expand your sense of what’s possible by introducing you to new connections in your desired field or company, or by suggesting roles in adjacent fields that may suit your skill set (you may have been intent on a career in journalism, but hadn’t considered PR, where—depending on the position—you can be paid to create in-depth narrative works paid for by a company or organization). A shared Google Doc noting your nonnegotiables (e.g., “I need to stay in New York”) and your aspirations (e.g., “I’d like to hone my storytelling skills”) offers an easy way to identify and share links with your posse of peer mentors and crowdsource information during the search process.
2. Providing tactical help
Peer mentors don’t just offer support: they can also provide hands-on, tactical assistance that you might otherwise have to pay for. Trusted friends in your job search circle might review your résumé or LinkedIn profile to ensure it’s relevant for your desired field and conveys your professionalism and expertise. One of Alexis’s students formed a WhatsApp group to check in with fellow job-seeking classmates and called it “a game-changer” for getting feedback when preparing cover letters and getting ready for interviews. And once you’re offered a position, your mirror mentors can be invaluable when it comes to negotiating your package and closing the deal.
One recent graduate was torn after receiving a job offer with a salary far below what she expected. She was tempted to accept given the financial challenges she was facing, but her friends wouldn’t let her undersell herself. They helped crowdsource comparison salaries to confirm that this offer was atypically low; one friend even helped her craft an email to turn the offer down and sat with her as she hit send. Saying no felt risky at the time, but with the support of her peer mentors, she soon landed another, more lucrative offer.
3. Offering encouragement—and accountability
Mirror mentors are also key to helping you recognize your own potential. When self-doubt creeps in, they can remind you of your strengths and encourage you to think bigger. One of our colleagues found a job that aligned perfectly with her interests and experience—except she fell short of the exact number of years of experience they noted in the job description. Like many on the job market—especially women—she initially ruled herself out and decided not to apply. But when she shared her disappointment with a friend, the response was simple and powerful: “Always put your name in. Rejection is hard—but don’t reject yourself.” That shift in mindset gave her the confidence to apply. Though the company ultimately did not hire anyone due to budget cuts, she felt empowered to apply for “reach” jobs moving forward.
Just as important as encouragement is the accountability that peer mentors can provide; when your job search starts to drag and it feels like nothing is working, together, you can remind each other to persevere and keep networking and applying until the right opportunity emerges for you both. Job searches are never easy—especially in these complex times—but when you have a group of peers who are supporting you, it becomes easier to find and land your dream job. Surround yourself with “mirror mentors” who know your strengths, introduce you to new opportunities, and refuse to let you settle for less than you deserve. In a market this competitive, your best advantage might just be the people sitting beside you in the trenches.
