Search or ask the scientist in advance for links/PDFs of scientific papers they have written, or news clips about their research or their area of research. Explain what position you are in, and leave out all the fluff about how awesome you are. by Theresa Bradley-Banta. You’ve been reading books and articles on leadership and have been following several influencers on LinkedIn. This question is about expected research progress, and how your future advisor may judge if you are thriving or struggling (especially during evaluation periods). While creating questions specifically for your panel is the very best way to make your discussion unique and engaging, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. Hereunder are 15 top questions to ask someone about their career path: How did you get involved in this field? With luck, you’ll gain a great mentor. Ask senior staff to designate mentoring facilitators. Good Questions to Ask a Mentor. For others, it’s a person who provides support, knowledge and motivation. We suggest you ask some--or all--of the following questions when you meet with a potential mentor. What questions would you add? Make sure they have a true understanding of your business and look them dead in the eyes with open ears. You also need to gain critical insights to help you familiarize yourself with your mentee’s business offering, as well as their obstacles and goals. Related: Research Assistant Resume Samples Get better advice by asking the right questions. Approach the relationship with realistic expectations. Let’s say, for instance, you’ve been told you have leadership potential and want to build on this. However, this isn’t always the case. A mentor can be many things. The Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need, introduces a mentorship framework comprised of five critical questions that every mentor must ask to help optimize the mentoring relationship. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself and your mentor some tough questions. By June Gruber, Jay J. Ask your potential mentor if he or she can make time for an hour meeting with you. Once you’ve thought through your choice, you’re ready to ask someone to mentor you. In your email: Schedule an initial conversation. Ask your mentor if they have any book recommendations that they can share with you. The 13 Must-Ask Questions for Your Mentor by John Maxwell and posted by Douglas Raine Steven Spielberg, the genius behind movies like Jaws and E.T., once said, “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” I love the wisdom in that statement. If they think you’re serious and actually looking to act on their advice, they will usually give you the best advice.” Prepare the facilitators to answer questions about the mentoring program, steer interested people to the mentoring program coordinator, and broker mentoring partnerships. Here are some questions to ask admission offices or currently enrolled students. I'm also already involved in research and don't think I have time to get involved in any more projects, so a research-mentor relationship isn't likely. By James Hayton , August 17, 2015. 21 Questions to ask when moderating your next panel discussion. The opportunity to question someone about their career path does not happen every day. Do your research. Because of the mismatch, I'm not sure what my goals of this mentorship program could be or what kind of questions I could ask beyond the simple ones (how did you end up in your specialty, etc). Top Questions To Ask Your Mentor. Did my undergraduate degree prepare me for grad school and this program specifically? I have maintained a schedule of fortnightly presentations with another senior research fellow and professor to update them with the progress of the research. Asking a question about yourself that you may not like the answer to, says a lot about your dedication to growth. Each student has also a seminar advisor who helps your student with the process, in particular with scientific writing, but typically is not an expert in the field of the student's research. To ask someone to be your mentor, start by sending the person a short, succinct email, which will be more likely to get their attention. Survey Research; Constructing the Survey; Question Content; Question Content. 40 Questions to Ask in an Informational Interview Knowing networking is critical to their search, most job hunters work hard to arrange face-to-face meetings with contacts. How involved will the mentor be with you and your project? We’ll first look at good questions to ask a mentor, then questions for mentors to ask mentees. Ask all the questions you can think of! (Read more below to find out how to create and crosscheck your questions.) With the competitive nature of graduate programs, it would seem that an admission committee would only accept students they believe have the tools to succeed. “The biggest question to ask a career mentor is what they think you should do. Interviewing a mentor or industry leader you admire can lead to valuable insight for your own job trajectory. As highlighted and discussed below by Anthony Tjan, CEO and founder of the venture capital firm Cue Ball, he notes, “These five questions, when asked in the order presented, … There’s no easy answer to this question as it mostly depends on what your career goals and objective are. Here’s how it works: Before every meeting with your mentor, prepare one question from each of these categories: stories, situations, self-awareness, and skill building. They can sometimes be even more difficult to answer. • What are his/her authorship practices? Wherever you are on your career journey, from starting a PhD to your first permanent academic post or to taking those initial tentative steps as a manager, other people have been there before and are often willing to share their valuable advice and insight. Does your mentor have children, a favorite charity she supports, or an addiction to a particular Mediterranean cuisine? Don’t bombard your cooperating teacher with all 25 questions while they’re trying to grab lunch and make copies all at the same time! Therefore it is useful to have questions that you could ask should this moment arise. Do form a relationship with them, and use the opportunity to gain valuable insight into teaching and your own practice. What are my research goals? They might point you toward books that relate directly to … As a mentor, you’re aware of the skills you have to offer, but you need to be able to assess how your expertise can be best applied. Questions to Ask a Potential Mentor • What are the mentor’s expectations (duties, research project, timeline, meetings, work hours, etc.)? Ask this question for one reason only — digging. And while there is an almost infinite number of survey question combinations you can ask, we have compiled a list of our must-asks, so that next time you go to make those mentor-mentee matches, you have all of the right data to make the matching process a breeze. Here’s how to do it. • How much time does the mentor spend meeting with students and postdocs? Here is a simple, but extraordinary, list of questions to use when talking with your mentor. Do your research. In my workshops and group coaching programs, I like to share those categories, and then ask the participants to compile their own questions to ask a mentor. 10 objective survey questions you must ask your mentors and mentees: (1) What’s your name? Since evaluations are a department-level process, a 1:1 may not be the best place to ask logistical questions regarding evaluation or qualifying processes (‘quals’), but it is a good time to understand specific milestones, … 12 Questions You Should Ask Your Mentor ASAP Don't waste your mentor's time--or yours. Here are some fun, quirky questions to break the ice and get to know a different side of your mentor, one that might not be immediately apparent in his or her professional persona. But sometimes you really want to go deep with the questions you ask your mentor. Consider naming them, and listing some specific questions you’re wrestling with that they might be able to help answer. Questions to ask a potential supervisor before starting your PhD. By Young Entrepreneur Council @yec. • How does the mentor describe his/her mentoring and managing style? It’s best to find more than one mentor and capitalise on their individual strengths. You are the research mentor of your student. Provide training and recognition for the mentoring facilitators. Why have a mentor? These types of questions can be difficult to ask. 25 Mentorship Questions. Getty Images. For some people, a mentor is someone who gives you the occasional helpful tip. Van Bavel Feb. 4, 2019 , 12:55 PM. In this article, we explain why you should ask professionals about their jobs, advise on how to do it, provide a list of questions to ask and offer some tips for your conversation. “For mentors, the most important thing, really, is to ask questions, to be this guide on the side, rather than the sage on the stage,” she says. Examine each question to see if you need to ask it at all and if you need to ask … But before selecting a mentor, you should first do some form of self-assessment and ask yourself some questions. What experiences does this potential mentor have that are relevant to your journey? Be as specific as you can about what you want to know. These questions are general guidelines; they are not a checklist. Research assistants perform several vital tasks on the job, so preparing for the interview to demonstrate their qualifications for the role is vital. You will impress the mentor and help them think more deeply about your project. When you apply for a PhD position, it’s likely that your main concern is whether or not they accept you, but you must also think about whether the supervisor is right for you. 15 Top Questions to Ask Someone about Their Career Path. For example, write something like, “Dear Dr. Locklear, I’m reaching out to let you know that I am fascinated with your work. Consider the following self-awareness questions to ask: To ace your Ph.D. program interviews, prepare to answer—and ask—these key questions. In my article 23 Fun Questions to Ask Your Mentor I list some questions that help lighten up the mentoring session. Is the Question Necessary/Useful? The research the faculty member works on should be of interest to you, and you should be able to both learn from and contribute to it. Most people who ask for advice never take the time to build an authentic connection. Don’t put all of your expectations on one mentor to meet your needs. Write questions to ask your mentor about each topic and script your next meeting. After you talk to your mentor, think about the discussion, and then go back and ask more questions. Here are some content-related questions you can ask about your survey questions. For each question in your survey, you should ask yourself how well it addresses the content you are trying to get at. I was recruited by a university to work on a research project as a research fellow and have dedicated over 8 months to it. If you are reporting on a study, READ IT first, take notes, and ask questions based on your notes during the interview. It is important to identify a mentor for your research whose intellectual interests mesh well with yours. Related: 9 Questions to Ask Your Mentor You don’t want to be rushed, and you want plenty of time for the other person to ask you questions about your goals, etc. What to ask your mentor? In this article, we offer an array of common interview questions for research assistants along with a few questions with explanations and sample answers. But setting up appointments with all the friends, professional acquaintances and corporate executives you can is just the first step. Mentor i list some questions to ask someone about their career path what ’ say! 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