Questions for Mentees to Ask

Suggested Questions to ask Your Mentor

Initial meeting

• Discuss both of your needs and expectations

• Discuss both of your goals and objectives for the relationship

• Establish a schedule for future meetings

 Questions

      Job Description

• What is your job title?

• What is the title of the person to whom you report?

• What are the most satisfying and most frustrating aspects of your work?

• Would you say that you wear ‘different hats’ in your position?

• How free are you to do your work independently?

      Preparation

• What preparations do you recommend to enter this occupation?

• If you could start over, what steps would you take?

• How did you do it?

• What education/degrees/training/licenses are required?

• What courses would you suggest that one take for this field?

      Advancement

• How did you get to your current position

• Do you see trends and developments that will be affect careers in this field?

      Lifestyle

• What kind of hours did you have to put in in the beginning? And now?

• How common is overtime?

• Is there any travel?

• Are there professional organizations in this field?

• How soon in one’s career should they join these organizations?

• What kind of pressures do you face?

• Did you or do you have a mentor?

Career Conversations/Activities

• Read a book related to your field (perhaps suggested by mentor) and discuss it

• Discuss mentor’s educational background and the role of education in preparing for this field

• Together, search the Internet for job resources and other information related to your field

• Discuss organizations and their ‘culture’

• Discuss how individual work values impact career choices

• Find and speak of a current event or issue in the field

• Talk about the transition from school to work

• Meet for lunch or dinner and discuss business etiquette

• Discuss ‘office politics’, for better or worse