In Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire, Blackburn Mentoring pairs young professionals, students and families with one dedicated mentor who meets in person in Los Angeles or by video. You set a few concrete goals, break them into steps for the week and stay in touch with your mentor by text and phone between sessions.
The middle of the city
Koreatown is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Los Angeles, a grid of apartment buildings, office towers and restaurants that stay open late, with the Wiltern anchoring the corner of Wilshire and Western. West along Wilshire, Mid-Wilshire runs toward the Miracle Mile, the county art museum and the La Brea Tar Pits. Metro D Line stations along Wilshire make it one of the few parts of the city where getting around without a car is realistic.
Rents are lower than on the Westside, and the location is central, so the area draws a lot of people in their twenties and thirties who are new to the city, early in a career or working several jobs at once.
What young professionals work on
- Getting traction at work. A first job that has not turned into a career yet, or a promotion that keeps not happening (first job after college)
- Money in an expensive city. A budget, a plan for debt and an emergency fund (saving money in your twenties)
- A routine that survives a late-night neighborhood. Sleep, exercise and a start time that holds
- Building a social life. Friends and community after moving here for work (dealing with loneliness)
- A side project or career change. Making steady progress on something outside the day job (career change)
Our page on coaching for professionals describes the approach for working adults.
Students and families in the neighborhood
Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire also have plenty of families with teenagers, and college students who commute from home to campuses across the city. For a high school student, a parent or guardian joins the intro call, agrees the goals and gets regular progress updates. Typical goals are homework routines, a first job and a plan after graduation. College students often want help balancing classes with work and a long bus or train ride (mentoring for college students).
Accountability, week by week
Most people already know what they should do. A mentor makes it more likely to happen. Each session ends with a few specific commitments, such as two workouts, five job applications and a Sunday budget check. Your mentor texts midweek to see how it is going and, at the next session, you look honestly at what worked. It is steady, unglamorous and effective (accountability coaching).
Mentors are not tutors, therapists or career agents. With permission, they share progress with family and coordinate with professionals already involved.
Meeting in the center of Los Angeles
Being central makes in-person meetings in Los Angeles easy to arrange, and video sessions fit around long workdays. Many people mix the two. Nearby, see mentoring in Hancock Park and Larchmont, mentoring in downtown Los Angeles and mentoring in Los Angeles.
Getting started
- Begin with the five-minute assessment, which covers the basics in a few minutes.
- Someone on our team reads it and calls for a free intro conversation.
- You are paired with one mentor, chosen for your goals.
- Plans run week to week or month to month, with 30 or 60 minute sessions in person in Los Angeles or by video.
Related
- Mentoring in Hancock Park and Larchmont
- Mentoring in Hollywood
- Mentoring in downtown Los Angeles
- Mentoring across California
Common questions
Can I meet my mentor without a car?
Yes. Video sessions need only a phone or laptop, and in-person meetings in Los Angeles can be planned with transit in mind.
I work two jobs. Can sessions be at odd hours?
Yes. Sessions are scheduled around your real week, in 30 or 60 minute blocks, and the time can shift when your jobs do.
Do you help with career changes?
Yes. Mentors help you research options, plan steps and follow through, though they do not act as recruiters or agents.
Can my parents be updated?
Only with your permission if you are an adult. For high school students, a parent or guardian is always involved.
Get started
Looking for a mentor in Koreatown or Mid-Wilshire? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.