This resource is provided by American Corporate Partners, which aims to ease the transition from the military to the civilian workforce. ACP is a national nonprofit organization focused on helping returning veterans and active duty spouses find their next careers through one-on-one mentoring, networking and online career advice.
Useful Questions to Ask your Mentor
If you don’t know where to start, here are some helpful questions to ask your Mentor upon introduction.
How did you get where you are today? Chances are you would like to someday be where your mentor currently is in their career.
- How did you get your first job post-graduation?
- What advice would you like to have heard when you were starting out?
- Do you have any recommendations with regards to useful courses to take or extracurricular activities to be involved with?
What qualities do you look for in the people you hire? Someday at an interview, you will probably find yourself face-to-face with someone very similar to your Mentor. Get the scoop on what these people are really looking for in a casual setting.
- What are the main or most important personal characteristics for success in the field?
- What kind of education/training do you have? How important is a graduate degree, designation, or additional certificate in this field?
- How is a typical job interview in this industry conducted?
- When should I start applying for positions and forwarding my resume?
- Is there anyone else in this field you would recommend I talk to? When I call them, may I mention that you referred me?
What else is out there? You may want to know what other positions correlate with your background, if there are any other organizations that are useful to be a part of, and how to go about finding the best fit for you.
- Are you a member of any professional orders or associations? Which ones do you feel are the most important to belong to?
- Are there any other fields or jobs you would suggest I research/explore?
- How do people find out about job openings in this field? Are they advertised? If so, where?
When do you want to meet next? Both you and your Mentor probably have very busy schedules so it is very important to plan ahead in order to stay on the same page. Do not let your time with your Mentor lapse.
