As a mentor, one of your main responsibilities is to get to know your mentee on a personal level. This will allow you to understand better your mentee’s professional goals, motivations, and challenges. It can also help you provide more targeted and useful advice.
39 Questions you can ask your mentee to get to know them better:
- What are your personal goals?
- What are your long-term career goals?
- What are your short-term career goals?
- What skills do you need to develop to reach your goals?
- What made you decide to pursue a career in this industry?
- Are there any particular subjects or topics that you are particularly passionate about?
- Are there any particular subjects or topics that you find particularly challenging?
- What have been your greatest accomplishments?
- What do you hope to accomplish in your current role?
- What are the most important factors in your motivation?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What are your values and beliefs?
- When you feel stressed or down, how do you handle it?
- How do you like to receive feedback?
- What is your ideal work environment?
- Do you prefer to work independently or as part of a team?
- Do you prefer to work on projects with a specific scope or those with an open end?
- Do you prefer to work on problems with clearly defined solutions or on those that require more creative thinking?
- Do you like to work on one project at a time or juggle several projects at once?
- What would be your dream job or project?
- How do you handle criticism?
- How do you react when things do not go according to plan?
- How do you feel about taking risks?
- What is your definition of success?
- Do you feel that you have a good work-life balance?
- How do you manage your time and prioritize your tasks?
- What resources (books, blogs, people) do you turn to when trying to learn something new?
- Who are some of your professional role models? And why?
- What lessons have you learned from your successes and failures?
- What networking opportunities have you pursued?
- What kind of advice are you looking for from a mentor at this point in your career?
- What have you done to improve your skills and knowledge in your field?
- Are there areas in your job where you feel like you need more training or development?
- What can I do to help you succeed?
- Are there any important changes you would like to see in your field?
- What do you hope to gain from this mentorship?
- How do you prefer to communicate (e.g., by email, phone, or in person)?
- How often would you like to meet for our mentorship sessions?
- Is there anything else that would be helpful for me to know?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you engage a mentee?
To engage a mentee, mentors should take the time to listen and provide thoughtful feedback. They should also offer advice when asked, but not give unsolicited advice. In addition, mentors should encourage their mentees to ask questions and use the resources available to them. Finally, they should check in with their mentees regularly to see how they are doing and offer additional support as needed.
How can a mentor give feedback to a mentee?
Mentors must provide feedback that is specific, actionable, and timely. In other words, the mentor should focus on what the mentee can do to improve their skills, rather than simply telling them what they did wrong. Finally, feedback should be provided as soon as possible after the event or interaction that is being evaluated.
How do you evaluate mentoring?
This can be done by considering factors such as whether the goals of the mentoring relationship were met, whether the mentee feels supported and whether the mentor feels they are getting what they need from the relationship. By evaluating the mentoring, we can ensure that it provides the most benefit possible to those involved.
What should a mentee expect from a mentor?
A mentee should expect a mentor to be invested in their development and growth and provide guidance, feedback, and resources as needed. The relationship between mentor and mentee should be one of trust, respect, and communication so that it is mutually beneficial. The mentee should be proactive in seeking guidance from their mentor and also be willing to listen and accept advice.
What is expected from a mentee?
A mentee is someone who is looking to improve themselves and their skills. They should be willing to learn and take advice from their mentor. The mentee should also be respectful and understand that the mentor may not have all the answers. The goal of the mentorship relationship is for the mentee to learn and grow so they can eventually become a mentor themselves.
Conclusion
Asking your mentee these questions can get you a better sense of who they are as a person and what motivates them. This will allow you to provide more targeted and helpful advice for their career.
