Before there were books, universities, or classes, there were mentorships to pass on wisdom and knowledge. In the west, mentorships exist since the Ancient Greek times—it’s a tried method of learning. That’s why a lot of people try to find a mentor.

Sometimes people mix up apprenticeships and mentorships. An apprenticeship is basically an internship, which is a system that was created in the Middle Ages.

If you wanted to become a tailor, baker, or merchant, you became an apprentice first and learned the craft on the job.

The main difference between the two is that mentorships are informal. And that’s exactly what makes it difficult to find a mentor.

Most people understand the value of mentors, but finding one is not easy. I also didn’t have mentors until I was out of college.

But in the past six years, I’ve been lucky to cross paths with three great people, who became mentors to me, and taught me invaluable lessons.

There are also several other people that I speak to every once in a while — we exchange ideas, and share knowledge—they are also like mentors. So mentors come in many types of relationships.

Here are seven things I learned about finding a mentor.