Having a mentor can help you accelerate your study, career, and other areas of your life. According to a study conducted on 8000 participants, 91% of respondents said they were generally happier when they had a mentor. From quicker acceleration of your career to understanding how to navigate life challenges, there are lots of areas where A mentor can help you.
To get the most out of your mentor, you must know the right questions to ask them. The questions to ask will depend on the area where you need mentorship. For instance, If you are talking to an education mentor, the mentorship topic will differ from that of a career mentor. Therefore, take advantage of your mentor and ask the right questions.
But what are the right questions to ask a mentor? To help you answer this question, we bring you the right mentor-mentee discussion topics. But before we do that, let’s learn how to choose a mentor.
Tips on Choosing a Mentor
When searching for a mentor, here are a few things you need to consider:
Shared Value
Choose a mentor who shares the same values and principles as you. When you are on the same page, it’s possible to understand one another, making the mentorship more effective. You will understand their situation better, and they will also tailor their approach to your specific needs.
Goals
What goals are you trying to achieve? Has your mentor achieved that goal? If you can answer yes to these questions, he is the right person to help you navigate the obstacles to your goals.
Ability to Challenge You
Will the mentor challenge you to become a better version of yourself? If there is a skill that you are trying to achieve, ask yourself if the mentor has achieved that before you. That will enable them to guide you accordingly.
Accessibility
How easy is it to reach your mentor when you need his help? You may admire a top business executive, but they might not accept to mentor you if you do not connect personally. That shouldn’t discourage you, and you should keep on searching.
What You Admire
Choose a person who you admire in your field. Check their career or business path and see what you love about them. You can do this for several professionals before choosing the ones to approach.
Questions to Ask a Career Mentor
If you have a mentor at the workplace, here are some questions you can ask them to improve your career.
- What do you think are the areas of my strength?
- What areas can I improve to achieve the goals I shared with you?
- How can I get discipline to achieve my goals?
- How can I manage my time more effectively to achieve my goal?
- What skills do I need to possess to grow faster in my career?
- Where did I go wrong, and what could I have done differently?
- What are the hard choices you had to make to progress in your career?
- What challenges did you face to get to where you are, and how did you overcome them?
- What professional experience did you have to get to where you are?
- What is the one thing you wish someone had told you when you were where I’m today?
- How do you identify the people you can build relationships with for more success?
- What values do you subscribe to, and how have these changed over your careers?
- What do you do when not working, and why did you choose these activities?
- What are your expectations in this mentorship relationship, and how can I benefit you?
- What career accomplishments are you mostly a product of, and what challenges did you face when trying to accompany to accomplish them?
- What professional organizations are you part of and why?
- What is your biggest weakness, and how do you handle it?
- What decisions gave you the most success in your career?
- What qualities must I develop to have a competitive edge over my peers?
- What is success at this stage of my career?
Questions to ask a business mentor
- What is the one thing you love about entrepreneurship, and what do you find the most challenging?
- What advice would you give to beginners in entrepreneurship?
- What steps did you take to grow your business to where it is today?
- What are your tricks of the trade?
- What would you do differently if you were in my situation?
- What are the key lessons you have learned in your entrepreneurship journey?
- How do you brainstorm and decide which business ideas to pursue?
- Tell me about a recent business setback and how you overcame it
- Is there a popular entrepreneurship advice you disagree with and why?
- Do you have a template that you use to create your long-term vision?
- How do you separate business finances from your finances?
- Think about five years ago. Did you envision your business as it is today?
- What do you wish you had known before plunging into business
- How do you handle demanding customers?
- How can I become better at managing the people who report to me?
- How do you plan to grow your business with an entrepreneurship mindset?
- Was there a time you made a mistake and felt like you failed? How did you bounce back from the mistake?
- How do you determine what risk to take?
- What business skills were the most difficult to acquire?
- How can I stay connected to people who will help me take my business to the next level?
Wrapping Up
Whether you meet your mentor for the first time or have met several times and feel like the conversation is getting repetitive, you don’t have to write off the relationship so soon. By understanding the mentorship topics for discussion, you can keep the conversation going and avoid those awkward moments. You can get started with the above mentorship questions.
