According to a new Linked In research, nearly one out of every five U.S. women does not have a mentor. As a young professional, I think having a mentor around is part of our career growth. A good mentor is there for you to ask questions about your career and even  those “dumb questions.” There’s nothing wrong with having more than one mentor either. Here are suggestions below on where to find the right mentor for you.

At Your Office

If you are looking for valuable long-term career advice, a seasoned professional is the way to go. This mentor can be a boss, supervisor, senior account executive and so on. When looking for a seasoned mentor, I suggest that he or she has at least 10+ years more work experience than you.

Industry Conferences

Attending a conference relative to your industry is one of the best places to connect with new professionals. Conferences have professionals crawling everywhere, so it’s easy to meet an array of pros. When chatting with a new person, learn about his or her career history. What type of industry does this person work in now? Does his or her field of work interest you and match your career goals? If the similarities are there, connect with this person over email or meet up in person a second time. If you think that professional is the right fit for you, then proceed to ask him or her if they are interested in serving as your mentor.

Professional Organizations

As a PR professional, I naturally joined the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) to stay abreast of industry news, immerse myself in the profession and to network with local pros. Most recently, I sit on the board of the Dallas chapter. PRSA Dallas has a “NuPros” section where Gen-Y members are paired up with a season professional. This was one of my first mentoring experiences, and it was beneficial for me. I can go to my mentor for anything, so it’s nice having him around to provide me with any advice- no matter how small it may seem.

Check out the Connect: Professional Women’s Network group on Linked In. This new group serves to connect individuals and provide career advice.