How to find a career mentor as a woman?

[peardropper]

I have big plans for my career, but don't come from a family in which this sort of aspiration is common (well wishing parents/relatives, but pretty much clueless).

I did go to university and ended up with a decent degree, and now work in a male-dominated industry (IT).

However, I feel as thought I might benefit from having a proper career mentor - although I can talk to my OH about my career plans, I'm also a bit clueless as to how to make good career moves, or know when it's time to move on from my employer, you know? I'm in my late 20s, for the record.

Does anyone have any ideas how I might find a (maybe female?) career mentor? All the websites I've looked through speak about trying to network in with women in the industry, but honestly, there isn't very many! Should I look into the whole "women in SET" scene for help?

Has anyone here had a career mentor? Was the experience useful? I'm not sure how "arranged" mentorship might work or whether it's something that most people fall into naturally with someone with more experience and whose advice they trust?

there is mentorset - who match up people looking for mentors they might help - and there is BCS women, there is something called girl geeks that run in some areas
and women in technology do things as well - I have met some of the people in these groups and there are some fantastic women in them- really nice friendly and completly "normal"
but a mentor doesn't have to be a women it could be a man - it needs to be someone who isn't your line manager and someone you get on with and is prepared to spend a bit of time with you. I have had some informal mentors in the past and there is nothing wrong with asking someone - or a number of people - would you have a bit of time to talk to me about my career development
my OH is in IT and the key for his development is to make a lot of effort to stay up to date techically