How to Ask for Career Advice and Get Valuable Insights

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Asking for career advice can seem intimidating but it’s one of the most effective ways to gain valuable insights, expand your professional network and get a boost in your career. With some preparation and a thoughtful approach, you can make asking for career advice a mutually beneficial experience for both you and the person you ask.

Why Asking for Career Advice Matters

Getting advice directly from seasoned professionals in your industry can provide you with a wealth of helpful information that books or online resources simply can’t offer. Some key benefits of soliciting career advice include:

Gain insider knowledge. Experienced professionals have been in your shoes before and can provide invaluable learnings from their career journey. They have a depth of knowledge about your industry that you can tap into
Receive unbiased guidance. Friends and family mean well but don’t always have the professional expertise to give well-rounded career advice. Speaking to those actively in your field provides objective counsel
Expand your network. Asking for career advice allows you to organically expand your professional connections. These relationships can facilitate future mentoring opportunities, job prospects, and more.
Boost your confidence. Hearing reassurance and encouragement from seasoned professionals can help validate your career aspirations and give you an extra dose of confidence.
Get tailored feedback. Since the advice comes from someone familiar with your career field, the insights will be more tailored to your specific situation and goals.

Clearly, taking the initiative to ask for guidance can truly help accelerate your career progression. But first you need to lay the groundwork for making your outreach successful.

How to Ask for Career Advice Over Email

Email is often the easiest way to directly request career insights from a professional contact. Follow these tips for crafting an effective career advice email:

Research Your Contact

Take some time to get familiar with the background of the person you want to reach out to. Browse their LinkedIn profile or company bio to better understand their career path and areas of expertise. This will allow you to make your request more personal.

Craft a Clear Subject Line

Your subject line is key for getting your email opened. Include your name, the purpose of your message, and the recipient’s name (e.g. “John Smith – Requesting Career Advice”).

Introduce Yourself

Start by introducing yourself and providing brief background on your education, interests, and career experiences. This context will help them better understand you and your goals.

Explain Why You Reached Out

Share what made you think of this particular person when looking for advice. Mention if you have any common connections or if you’ve admired their career accomplishments. The more personalized details you can share, the better.

Describe Your Career Goals

Give a short overview of where you hope to take your career long-term and any guidance you’re seeking related to getting there. Outline 1-2 specific questions you have that you would appreciate their insight on.

Request a Meeting

Ask if they would be open to a quick 20-30 minute meeting to hear their advice. Mention that you know their time is valuable so you welcome any insights they can share over email as well. Provide a few potential time frames that work for your schedule.

Express Gratitude

Thank them sincerely for considering your request and for taking the time to share their hard-earned career knowledge and experiences.

Proofread Carefully

Be sure to thoroughly proofread your email before hitting send. Double check for any spelling errors or typos, as you want to put your best foot forward in making a professional impression.

Who to Ask for Career Advice

Casting a wide net when soliciting career insights can help you gather diverse perspectives. Consider reaching out to:

Former managers: Prior bosses who have seen your work firsthand can provide useful feedback. They likely want to see you succeed.
Industry veterans: More experienced professionals often enjoy paying it forward by mentoring emerging talent. Seek out seasoned players at your dream companies.
Alumni from your university: Fellow alumni who work in your field can offer valuable referrals and advice. Your alumni office may be able to connect you.
Professional associations: Many associations have formal mentoring programs or can help identify potential contacts.
Friends of friends: Don’t underestimate tapping into your existing network. Ask contacts if they can connect you with any of their professional connections.
Cold contacts: If you can’t find a shared connection, cold outreach to carefully targeted individuals in your industry can also yield results.

Tips for Making the Most of Career Advice

Once you’ve made the effort to request career insights, be sure to make the most of the advice you receive:

Take notes. During meetings or calls, take detailed notes on the guidance provided so you can reference it later.
Ask targeted questions. Prepare 2-3 pointed questions seeking actionable input related to skills, education, specific roles to pursue, etc.
Request informational interviews. Ask if you could get an informational interview to gain exposure to their company and gain even deeper insights.
Discuss job shadowing. Inquire about potentially job shadowing them or a colleague for a day to learn more about specific roles.
Follow up. Send a follow up email thanking them again for their generosity with their time and advice provided. Share any progress you’ve made.
Leverage new connections. Don’t let the relationship end after one meeting. See if they’d be open to answering occasional follow up questions once you put their advice into action.
Pay it forward. Once you’ve achieved success in your own career, be willing to pay it forward by mentoring others seeking guidance.

Advice for Handling Discouraging Feedback

Hearing tough feedback can sometimes sting, but it ultimately provides important lessons on areas where you may need to improve. If you receive discouraging career advice, keep these points in mind:

Don’t take it personally. Focus objectively on the constructive issues raised, rather than an emotional reaction.
Ask clarifying questions. Make sure you fully understand their reasoning for any critiques.
Reflect carefully. Take time to carefully reflect on the feedback and how it aligns with your own assessment of your skills and abilities.
Develop an action plan. Turn the advice into an action plan with tangible steps to address areas needing improvement. Outline ways you can strengthen your weak points.
Express appreciation. Thank them for taking the time to provide honest feedback, even if it was difficult to hear. This will be valued.
Lean on your support network. Discuss the feedback with mentors and advisors who know you well. They can help put the advice in perspective.
Believe in yourself. Stay confident in your own abilities. Use the feedback as motivation to get even better.

While tough to hear, candid advice presents an opportunity for self-improvement. Approach it with an open mind, and it can truly help take your career to new heights.

Key Takeaways for Seeking Career Advice

Asking for career advice from the right professionals provides an invaluable way to make more informed career decisions and get insider perspectives on achieving your dreams. Keep these best practices in mind:

Identify professionals with experience in your desired career path when deciding who to reach out to.
Make personal requests over email after researching the person’s background and customized the questions.
If possible, set up calls or in-person meetings to have a dialogue and dig deeper on insights.
Follow up with your contacts to express appreciation and update them on your progress as you implement their advice.
Don’t get discouraged by constructive criticism. Embrace it as motivation to enhance your skills.
Broaden your network by building ongoing mentoring relationships, rather than just one-off meetings.

Armed with wise counsel from those who have been there, you’ll gain an accelerator to help you navigate your own career aspirations. The investment of time is well worth the wealth of tailored insights you stand to gain.

Professional association members

He also suggests attending a local chapter meeting of professional associations within your desired field and introduce yourself. Let others know that you’re eager to meet new people and hear their perspectives. Think of these situations as an opportunity to make friends. Show genuine interest in others, listen attentively, and have some open-ended questions prepared that will help the conversation flow smoothly.

Members of professional associations may also have access to a member directory, which can be a great source of potential networking leads. You can also get great advice from the information they share in articles, reports, or webinars, some of which might be directly on the topic of careers in their respective fields.

At a glance

Confidence in seeking advice is crucial, as experienced individuals are generally open to sharing insights and supporting professional growth.
Identify specific individuals for advice, such as colleagues, professional associations, LinkedIn contacts, current employers, and former teachers.
Its important to prioritize building relationships, expressing genuine interest, and being specific when seeking advice.

This article was updated on December 1, 2023.

It’s not easy to ask for advice, especially career advice. You may feel that your co-workers are competitors, or may treat you differently because of your goals and ambition. Or you may worry that your supervisor will see you as a threat, gunning for their job.

But worry not, as asking for career advice doesn’t require herculean levels of confidence. Because in the end, the kind of people in a position to give helpful career advice are often the most used to being asked for and sharing it. They may even be able and willing to do things for you that you hadn’t thought of, such as writing letters of recommendation or putting you in contact with someone in the field that can be of even greater help.

Also keep in mind that, generally, people enjoy helping other people, and that seeking help or advice can be a sort of compliment and reflection of the esteem you hold for that potential mentor.

Below are some pointers on how to seek, find and use the advice to continue planning your professional development success, and asking for the right advice and help to achieve it.

5 people to ask for career advice

The trickiest part of asking for career advice may not be how or what to ask, but who. But the approach, as well as the ask itself, should be planned.

When you need to ask someone for advice be as specific as possible. Make sure to figure out exactly who the best person might be to answer that specific question, rather than casting your net wide, and to always be gracious and thankful for any response or answers.

Consider career advice conversations as opportunities to build a relationship. Show genuine interest in the other person and listen attentively. Come prepared with some open-ended questions that will help the conversation flow smoothly, like “How did you get started in (career field)” or “What do you like most about it?”

“Once you’ve focused on them for a bit, then you can share some information about yourself,” says Steven Starks, Sr. Manager, Career Advising Programs & Operations at University of Phoenix. “Be transparent and let others know you are looking for their advice.”

How to ask for career advice (the right way)

Should you ask someone for career advice?

Before you ask someone for career advice, it’s a good idea to research the industry you’re interested in and find out the basics of a career on your own. This can allow you to maximize your time interviewing a professional because you won’t have to ask questions about the basics of a career choice.

How do I ask for career advice in an email?

Here are some steps you can take to ask for career advice in an email: 1. Engage in research and preparation Before you send an email, it’s important to research the industry or job title that you have an interest in so that you can gain insight into the basic requirements for the career.

How do I get career advice?

If you’re unsure who to email, you can research companies in the industry that you’re interested in and check their websites to see if it’s possible to email someone to request career advice. You can also use social media to ask professionals if they’re willing to provide their emails to you.

When should you seek career advice?

You can seek career advice anytime. Some good times could be: When you’re unsure: If you don’t know what job you want or if you want to change your career. Before big steps: Like before choosing a course in school or accepting a job offer. When you feel stuck: If you’re in a job but are unhappy or making progress.