Alumni Mentoring: Conversation and Development Topics
If your mentee is unsure of what they'd like to discuss, you can use the prompts on this page during your first meeting.
Your mentee(s) has been asked to prepare and share 1 or 2 goals with you ahead of each session. However, some students may not feel confident in what areas they need help with.
In situations such as this, we recommend spending the first session running through this list and helping them to identify key areas for focus.
- What skills to focus on developing to reach future career goals
- How to evaluate opportunities and decide which ones to pursue or decline
- What you would do if you were in my position at this stage of your career
- What principles guide your decisions when things are uncertain
- How to know if I’m on the right long‑term path
- What you wish you’d understood earlier in your career
- Help identifying blind spots in a decision I’m facing
- Feedback on the trade‑offs between options I’m considering
- Lessons from similar situations you’ve experienced
- What a “good” decision looks like in this context
- What strengths you see in me that I might be underusing
- Where I might be holding myself back
- How I come across in meetings or discussions
- How to communicate more clearly or confidently
- Habits or routines that helped you grow the fastest
- Courses, books, or experiences that shaped your development
- How to approach learning something completely new
- Identifying my biggest skill gaps
- How to handle difficult stakeholders or conflicting priorities
- How to build influence without authority
- How to maintain strong relationships under pressure
- How to manage up effectively
- CV/resume review and feedback
- Cover letter narrative guidance
- LinkedIn profile audit (headline, about section, keywords)
- Portfolio review (if relevant)
- Mock interviews (behavioural, technical, case)
- Refining STAR stories
- Practising “Tell me about yourself”
- Feedback on tone, clarity, pacing, and confidence
- Mapping target roles or industries
- Reviewing job descriptions to understand what’s essential
- Prioritising applications for best fit and highest chances
- Creating a networking plan and outreach strategy
- Practising difficult conversations (raise, boundaries, negotiation)
- Role‑playing stakeholder interactions
- Reviewing real work examples (presentations, emails, proposals)
- Setting quarterly or annual development goals
- Creating a personal development plan with milestones
- Tracking wins and progress over time
- Setting up regular check‑ins for accountability
