Something to doGetting ahead
Find people to learn with
A simple exercise to find a meetup, a peer group, a community or a mentor for what you're learning, and take one step toward it
Why it’s worth your time
Learning next to other people tends to go faster, because they show you what good looks like and notice what you can't. The right form depends on what you need from them, and the lightest one is usually the place to start. A first step that small is easy to actually take.
How to find a mentor or a peer group
You’ll come away with one concrete step taken toward people who share what you're learning.
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
- Decide what you want from other people.
Examples of good work, practice in front of an audience, advice from someone further along, or company on the way. The answer points to the form: a meetup to see it, a group to practice it, a mentor for advice.
- Pick the lightest form that fits.
A local meetup or an online community asks for nothing but showing up. A peer group asks for regular time. A mentor asks for someone else's time, so it usually works best once you know what you'd ask.
Tip: Some skills have well-known groups, like Toastmasters for public speaking. Ask people who do the thing where they learned.
- Take one concrete step this week.
Find the group and put its next meeting on your calendar, go to one session, or send one message to someone you'd like to learn from.
To: someone further alongI'm working on getting better at the skill, and I've admired how you something specific they do.
Would you be open to a 20-minute conversation in the next few weeks? I'd love your advice on one specific question.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Go once, then decide.
After the first session or conversation, ask yourself one thing: did I leave with something I'd try? If yes, go again. If not, try a different group before giving up on the idea.
Good moments for this: when you pick a skill your job can't give youwhen learning on your own has stalledonce a year, to check your groups still fit
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
Keep going with Truest
Small actions add up. Truest helps you find the next thing worth doing, make the space to do it, and keep a record of your progress. It’s a private place to work on your career, and it’s yours, not your employer’s.
- It actually happensDo it now, and you’ve invested in your career today.
- Your growth areas, keptWhat you said you are working on getting better at sits on your Foundation page.
- It’s yours to keepEach thing you do is saved to your private record, there when your next review or job search comes around.
Anything else we can help you with this week?
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
Asking someone to be your mentor is a big request with no clear shape. Asking for advice on one question is small and specific, and relationships that start that way often grow on their own.
What might make this harder
Look online: communities, virtual meetups and forums for your field. Many run regular video sessions.
Questions people ask
How do I find a mentor?
Start by asking someone further along for advice on one specific question. Mentoring relationships tend to grow out of conversations like that more often than from asking someone to be your mentor outright.
Where can I find people to learn a skill with?
Local meetups, professional associations, online communities for your field, and peer groups at work or outside it.
Is it okay to look outside my company for development?
Yes. Some skills have no home at your company, and growing in them elsewhere is normal. It can also bring new ideas back into your job.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Learning alone is possible, and slow. You can't easily see what good looks like, nobody notices when you drift, and the weeks when your motivation dips have nothing to carry you. Other people tend to be the quickest way to see what you can't see on your own. They show you the next level, they notice what you miss, and they make it easier to keep showing up.
There's a range here, from light to heavy. A meetup asks almost nothing. A peer group asks for regular time and a little vulnerability. A mentor asks for someone else's time and attention, which is a real gift. Starting at the light end isn't a compromise. It's how you find out what kind of help you actually need.
It's also completely fine to look outside your company. Some growth areas line up with your job, and there's a lot to gain from telling your manager about those. Others don't, and trying to force them into your job can feel awkward for everyone. Growing somewhere else is a normal part of a career, not a sign something is wrong with the job you have.
If what you want to learn is central to your current role, start inside first: ask your manager, or a colleague who does it well, before looking further. After a move or a long stretch of remote work, what's missing may be people in general, and reconnecting with people you already know could be the better first step.
Other simple things to consider
More in Getting ahead
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.