Questions to Ask Your Mentor or Others in Your Industry
Making the most of your mentor’s advice involves preparing questions related to your mentor’s experience. The same goes for conferences or other opportunities you have to ask experienced people in your field how they work. Here are some questions to consider.
Of course, you can ask everything you really want to know about your industry, industry, or just professional life in general, but if you don’t know where to start, here are specific questions to help:
- What would you like to know about this area before embarking on it?
- Do you have any thoughts on what I can do to stay on top of developments in this area – what to read, organizations to join, people to talk to?
- Who do you think are the best employers in this area? Why? Is there anything you would warn me to stay away from?
- Do you think I am realistic about the roles that I am aiming for in the next step?
Especially if you are just starting out, your mentor can help you avoid mistakes they made or they saw others do and keep your expectations in check. Even if you are talking to someone who is not really your “mentor,” they may have valuable information to help you in your career.
Actually Helpful Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews | Ask the manager