What are the most valuable questions to ask a mentor about career path? First off, congratulations on finding a mentor. Mentorship is a scarce resource that not all have access to. Maybe you’re still looking for that mentor. If you are, you aren’t alone.
The shift to remote has made it hard for many people to find a mentor. But, remote is here to stay, so we have to rethink mentorship like we have everything else as the world went remote.
So, how do you find a mentor while working remotely? With limited face-to-face interaction, there are still ways to find and connect with mentors virtually that can help you grow in your career. Although finding a remote mentor might be a bit different, human relationships don’t.
That means when you find a mentor, you have to ask engaging questions. After all, the mentor-mentee relationship is just that: a relationship. Every question you ask, ideally, creates value on both sides. Otherwise, it becomes a one-sided relationship quickly. That’s one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make with mentors and advisors.
So how do you ask engaging questions? On the surface, it may not seem like any questions to ask a mentor about career path will land as mutually beneficial. But like in every relationship, there’s psychology on both sides. Understand that, and you’ll craft highly personal questions (e.g., “What skills should I master to reach the C-suite?”) that also make your mentor feel fulfilled.
Need help getting started? We asked 12 entrepreneurs for good questions to ask a mentor, whether you’re looking to move up or make a change in your career. Their recommendations are based on years of investing in their own career and leadership growth. Use them verbatim, or as inspiration to think up new questions to ask your mentor.
Finding the right mentor can be a game-changer for your career. But simply having a mentor is not enough – you need to learn how to get the most out of the relationship by asking the right strategic questions.
I have personally benefitted immensely from mentors throughout my career journey. The guidance and wisdom I gained saved me years of struggle and helped catapult my career to new heights.
In this article, I will share 15 thought-provoking and strategic questions to ask your mentor to spur your professional growth and development Asking the right questions will help you tap into your mentor’s rich experience and expertise more deeply
Let’s dive right in!
Why You Need a Mentor
A mentor is someone more senior and experienced than you who takes a special interest in your career growth and imparts invaluable advice to help you succeed. Mentors provide:
- An experienced, objective sounding board to bounce ideas off
- Guidance on critical career decisions like switching roles, asking for a promotion etc.
- Insider knowledge of the unwritten rules of navigating your industry
- Tough feedback to improve yourself
- Expanded professional network and connections
- Increased visibility and profile in your field
Simply put, a mentor provides rocket fuel for your career. Their wisdom can help you avoid years of struggle and costly mistakes.
But you need to ask the right questions to extract maximum value from the mentoring relationship.
15 Strategic Questions to Ask Your Mentor
Here are 15 powerful questions to ask your mentor during your mentoring conversations:
1. What do you see as my strengths? How can I leverage them?
It’s easy to focus only on your weaknesses and areas for improvement. But uncovering and playing to your natural strengths is equally important for fast-tracking your career. Your mentor likely has an objective perspective on your abilities. Their insights can help you capitalize on your strengths rather than just fixing weaknesses.
2. What are my blind spots? How can I improve them?
Blind spots are weaknesses or flaws we don’t see in ourselves. Your mentor can point out your blindspots objectively. Their feedback will allow you to course-correct and address those areas through training, hiring someone to complement your weakness or delegating those tasks.
3. How could I have handled ______ situation better?
Reflecting on mistakes and failures is an opportunity for immense learning and growth. Ask your mentor for advice on key situations you feel you could have handled better. Their experience and detached perspective can shed light on what went wrong and how to handle similar scenarios in the future.
4. What skills do I need to develop to be ready for ______ role?
If you have a goal to progress to a certain role like project manager, team lead etc. discuss what specific skills your mentor thinks you’ll need to develop to be ready for that promotion. Their insights can help you create a learning plan.
5. What training programs, books or other resources would you recommend?
Your mentor has years of experience and can suggest the most relevant and valuable books, training programs, online courses and other resources tailored to your specific development needs. This steers you away from spending time and money randomly on generic programs.
6. How did you get your first break in the industry?
Understanding how your mentor navigated their early career can reveal useful strategies and approaches for your own career. Their story can inspire you and provide a blueprint applicable to your own path.
7. How do you tackle problems like _____?
When facing a challenging new problem, tap into your mentor’s problem-solving skills by asking how they’d approach that situation. You can learn effective frameworks and best practices refined over years of experience. Avoid reinventing the wheel.
8. How do you prioritize when everything seems urgent and important?
By virtue of their seniority, your mentor has invaluable experience on separating the truly urgent/important tasks from those just appearing so. Their advice can help you prioritize more effectively so you make real progress on your goals without getting overwhelmed and sidetracked.
9. How did your career progress? What milestones really accelerated your growth?
Learning how your mentor navigated key career milestones gives you a proven blueprint you can adapt for your own growth journey. Focus on the moves that really accelerated their career like pivoting roles, leading key projects etc.
10. What is your approach to networking? How do you build your professional relationships?
Effective networking is a critical skill that opens up opportunities. Your mentor can share how they nurture their network and leverage connections to progress their career for you to apply to your own networking strategy.
11. How do you bounce back from rejection or setbacks?
Everyone faces rejection and setbacks at some point in their career – it is inevitable. Your mentor can share their strategies for building resilience, maintaining confidence and bouncing back to eventually achieve success. Their experience overcoming challenges will empower you.
12. What career advice do you wish you had received earlier?
Your mentor likely has valuable “I wish I knew earlier” lessons based on mistakes or suboptimal choices they made. Their experience can help you avoid the same pitfalls early in your career and leapfrog their achievements more quickly.
13. Where do you think I could improve that would be most beneficial for my goals?
Ask your mentor for honest, constructive feedback on your biggest areas for improvement that will make the most difference in helping you achieve your goals. Their unbiased perspective can illuminate your blind spots.
14. How do you recommend expanding my professional network?
A robust professional network is invaluable for accessing opportunities. Ask your mentor for input on how to strategically expand your network, both within and outside your company. Make the most of their connections.
15. What does success in my role look like to you? How can I get there?
Understand what excellence in your role entails from your mentor’s informed viewpoint. Their vision of success for your role, along with advice on getting there, will inspire you and help you maximize your potential.
Make the Most of Your Mentor’s Wisdom
The guidance of a seasoned mentor can fast-track your career growth and equip you to tackle challenges powerfully. But you need to do your part by showing up prepared with thoughtful questions.
Apply the 15 strategic questions provided above to extract maximum value from your mentoring relationship. The wisdom and objective insights you gain can help you reach new heights professionally!
Remember, your mentoring relationship is a two-way street. Make sure to express genuine interest in your mentor’s career and offer assistance where you can to nurture the relationship.
Invest time identifying a mentor who is a good fit, developing rapport and meeting consistently. This relationship can truly unlock your potential and accelerate your path to success.
What’s One Thing You Would’ve Done Differently?
“I think most people say, ‘I have no regrets,’ but really, there are things they would certainly do differently if they had a time machine. I like hearing what my mentors wish they did differently and what mistakes held them back so that I can learn from those.”
Why Do You Do What You Do?
“Ask your mentor why he or she does what they do. Successful people often have very strong reasons for why they do what they do. If you can identify why you want to do something, the ‘what to do’ and ‘how to get there’ will often come much more naturally.”
Effective Mentorship: How to Prepare for the First Meeting and Ask the Right Questions | xoreni
What are mentoring questions?
Mentoring questions are those asked to cultivate a strong relationship between a mentor and a mentee – as well as to get the most out of it. They can be aimed at getting to know each other better, navigating career challenges, or setting goals for the mentorship itself. Example:
What should I ask my mentor?
That’s why in our previous post on mentors, we covered topics including: With that in mind, it’s vital to know what to ask your mentor to make sure you’re putting the relatively limited time you have together to good use. We’ve compiled 37 questions you can ask about various topics to help you prepare. 1. Questions about improving your soft skills
How do you ask strategic questions?
If you want to ask strategic questions, you first need to understand the principles and thought processes behind the strategic conversation. Here are the 10 ways mentors or mentees can have better conversations from Celeste Headlee, an American radio journalist who outlined each in her Ted Talk.
What should you ask a mentor about career path questions?
By asking a mentor about career path questions, you can find out if you’re in the right career and how you can incorporate other interests/passions into your work. Leadership. Leaders are made, not born. Ask your mentor about what’s important to be a good leader and how to resolve conflicts within your teams. Entrepreneurship and business.
