Interview Guide for Mentees

This interview guide is for Mentees exploring a new career. Play the role of investigative journalist and discover answers to the questions below. You will enrich your relationship and build trust when you have an real interest in your Mentors advice.

Study these questions before your meeting. Ask them in your own order and your own way depending on the flow of your conversation. You can have this document handy, and take notes during the meeting, but try your best to be conversational. 

Remind yourself to listen while the other person is speaking, rather than thinking about what you are going to say next. Try listening in 3’s, where you try to remember 3 points from the mentor's answer. Take a breath and internalize your answers, digest this new information, see what applies to you, and what you like and dislike.

Most importantly, enjoy your time together!

IMPORTANT: Your relationship with your Mentor is two-way. Both of you are responsible for learning from each other. The more you learn about your Mentor, the more opportunities you will find to teach them something new from your own strengths and experiences. You have a unique flavor that is valuable!

Questions about the mentor’s life:

What does a day in the life of (Mentor Name) look like?

How do you spend most of your time at work?

What is one of your biggest accomplishments? Recent accomplishments?

What is a mistake that you have made that I can learn from?

Did you transition between different fields before you ended up at this current position?

What are your current goals that I can help you with?

What have you learned about yourself in the past 6 months?

What is a past/ current weakness and how are you learning to overcome it? 

Questions about the mentor’s company and industry:

How has the industry changed in the past 5 years? How do you think it will change in the next 5 years? What has your company done to adapt to the changing environment?

What is the advancement potential in the field? What is a typical path? How long does it take?

What qualifications does your company seek in new hires? 

What does the day in the life of a new hire look like?

What professional journals and organizations should I be aware of?

What is the most interesting aspect of your job? 

Why did you choose this particular company to work with?
What is the company culture like in your workplace? 

Questions about the mentee’s life:

What should I be doing now?

Have you ever had a mentor figure in your life? What kind of advice did they give you? 

What are some important skills that I could benefit from learning that are not taught at school?

What are some of the young people in your company doing that makes them stand out?

What is a recent challenge you faced in the workplace? How did you solve it?

What are 3 key books you think I should read and why?