Penn Arts & Sciences Logo

Mentor Sample Questions

English Alumni Mentor Starter Questions

Welcome to the English major's Alumni Mentor website! Below are some sample questions you may wish to ask a Mentor.

Please remember: this is not an interrogation. You are speaking to someone who majored in the same subject as you are right now, and who will be interested in you -- and you should be in him or her.

So, don't just run through this list of questions. Use them as a basis for a real conversation, and tailor them accordingly.

Advisor's Career Field

  • How do people find out about jobs in your field? How are they advertised? Is word of mouth more important?
  • What would help me to learn more about this field?
  • What entry-level opportunities are there in this field?
  • How well suited is English for this type of work?
  • What else should I be doing? What other courses or experience do I need?


Advisor's Career Path:

  • Five or ten years ago, did you expect to be where you are now?
  • How did you prepare for this kind of work? How do most people prepare for it?
  • If you were in college now, what would you differently?


About the Alum's Present Job:

  • How did you choose this career field?
  • What do you find most rewarding about the work?
  • How long do most people stay in your job?
  • Do you see your current job as a step to another one?
  • What are the most difficult aspects of your job?
  • If you were ever to leave this kind of work, what would drive you away from it?
  • When you hire people, what matters to you most in terms of qualifications and personal attributes?

 

Click Here To Begin.