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Mentoring Resources
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Last Updated: Oct 01, 2026, 09:43 AM
Questions to Ask a Mentee
- What are your plans for your professional future?
- Do you need help in learning how to network?
- What kind of network would you like to develop?
Questions to Ask a Mentor
- What is your job title?
- What is your typical day on the job?
- What percentage of each day do you spend in various work activities?
- What is the title of the person to whom you report?
- How free are you to do your work independently?
- What types of problems are you likely to face during the day?
- What are the most satisfying and the most frustrating parts of your work?
- How did you get to your current position?
- What are the future trends and developments that you see affecting careers in your field?
- What are the opportunities for advancement in your field?
- What is a typical timeline for advancement?
- How did you prepare for this occupation?
- What preparations do you recommend for a person entering this occupation?
- What education/degrees/training/licenses are required?
- What are the best places to go for additional education or training for a position like yours?
- If you could start all over again in launching your career, what steps would you take?
- What courses do you recommend taking for this occupation?
- What are the typical hours that your job requires?
- Is travel a factor in this job?
- What are the professional organizations in this field?
- How do these organizations serve their members?
- What are the pressures that you face?
- How does this occupation affect your private life?
- What is expected of you outside of working hours?
- Is there a formal mentor program set up in your workplace?
Suggested Activities
Become Acquainted
- Discuss your backgrounds and get to know each other.
- Discuss your goals for the relationship.
- Discuss the mentee’s career interests and goals.
Career Conversations
- Discuss and list the mentee’s talents, skills, and interests.
- Discuss how the mentor’s personal and professional life fit together.
- Read a book related to your field of interest and discuss it.
- Discuss the mentor’s educational background and the role of educational preparation in your field.
- Discuss organizational types and cultures.
- Search the Internet together for job resources and other information related to your field.
- Discuss how individual work values impact career choices.
- Discuss a current event or issue in your field.
- Visit/discuss a variety of work environments.
- Discuss the professional standards that exist in your field.
- Discuss the transition from school to work.
- Go out to lunch or dinner and discuss proper business etiquette.
- Discuss “office politics.”
Career Observation
- Participate in a company tour, if appropriate.
- Attend a professional meeting or program together.
Resume/Interview Exercises
- Critique the mentee’s resume and cover letter.
- Assist the mentee in completing a job application packet, portfolio, etc.
- Practice an informational interview.
- Practice a job interview.
Back to School
- Attend a campus lecture, concert, or sporting event together.
- Invite the mentor to attend one of your classes.
- Investigate career-related student clubs.
Creating Professional Networks
- Compile a list of contacts the mentee could meet with in your field.