20+ Questions to Ask Your Mentor in Your Next Meeting

Mentoring has become a useful tool for professionals to seek advice, discuss problems, and learn about opportunities and new skills. No matter the form, in-office or online, mentoring relationships yield great results for a mentee’s personal and professional development.

While you, as a mentee, may be enthusiastic about the growth opportunities mentoring provides and about developing a meaningful professional relationship, you may not know just which questions to pose to obtain the answers you need. Perhaps you know exactly what you want to learn from your mentor and have a good rapport with them, but don’t know how to frame your questions to be respectful and still find your answers.

This blog will highlight some questions you can ask your mentor the next time you see them.

Must-Ask Questions for Your Mentor

As a mentee, it's essential to engage in meaningful conversations and ask the right questions to maximize your professional growth. Let’s explore key areas of discussion that can help drive success across various aspects of modern work life.

Self-improvement: Skill

1. Which skills would be best for me to focus on?

2. What suggestions do you have for professional development courses?

3. Can you recommend any good books that I should read to get better at X skill?

Self-improvement: Accountability/Emotions

1. What action could I have taken in this particular circumstance to obtain a better outcome?

2. How do I deal with the disappointment of a work project's less-than-ideal results?

Professional Experience

1. What difficulties did you encounter while holding position X?

2. Which professional experiences most helped you acquire the job you hold now?

3. Which advice would you have liked to have received/would have helped you when you were in my present professional stage?

Requesting Feedback

1. What shortcomings do you perceive in me? 

2. How frequently should I ask my manager for candid criticism?

3. What weaknesses should I overcome to become a better communicator/leader?

Work-Life Balance

1. What are some tactics I can use to avoid burnout?

2. How can I successfully put my health first while working toward my goals?

3. How can I set boundaries politely with my colleagues and manager?

Connections and Networking

1. Which strategies would you suggest using to inspire my team?

2. How can I tell my manager that I don't require constant supervision?

3. How can I provide my supervisor with project feedback?

4. What are some tactics for handling challenging co-workers?

5. How can I strengthen my network in the industry?

Follow-up

1. Could you please email me the resources we discussed?

2. Which one or more things have you noticed in me as a mentee that I should do differently?

3. Can we discuss X in greater detail next time? I would like to hear your in-depth opinions.

Final Thoughts

There are numerous additional questions that can be posed during a mentorship session, depending on your specific interests and needs. It is also advisable to take note of your questions throughout the session and address them in subsequent meetings.

Finally, prioritize listening over asking. The responses provided by your mentor are as significant as the questions themselves. Be sure to fully process their insights before moving on to the next question.