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Film-style poster for the Ask for More presentation

A guide for mentees: Ask for More

How to ask your mentor and your network for more than advice.

English

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

Why they say yes

People say yes more than you think

We underestimate how often others agree when we ask them directly.

48% How much people underestimate how often others agree to a direct request Bohns, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2016

Your personal board

Build a board, not one mentor

A network of about five people covers what one mentor cannot.

Advice, not feedback

Ask for advice, not feedback

Asking for advice brings more concrete and usable input than asking for feedback.

  • What would you change before I present this? Advice: concrete and forward.
  • Any feedback on my presentation? Feedback: polite and vague.

The step to sponsorship

Ask for the next step up

When advice is going well, ask your mentor for a connection or an opportunity.

A visible goal

Make your goal specific enough to share

A clear goal tells your mentor which door to open for you.

Old contacts

Wake up your old contacts

People you have not spoken to in years give advice as useful as current ties.

  • Pick three old colleagues from past jobs or studies
  • Send a short note what you are working on
  • Ask one question specific to them
  • Source Levin, Walter & Murnighan, 2011

Doing it on Mentornity

Work with your mentor on Mentornity

Your mentor’s open slots, messages and program events are all in one program.

Book your mentor’s open slots

Times show in your own time zone.

Fill in the meeting form

If your program uses one, it reopens with your saved answers.

Ask by message

Every message also reaches your mentor by email.

Join program events

Sign up, or join the waitlist when an event is full.

Turn on browser notifications

Bookings, changes and messages reach you at once.

Book your mentor’s open slots

Times show in your own time zone.

Fill in the meeting form

If your program uses one, it reopens with your saved answers.

Ask by message

Every message also reaches your mentor by email.

Join program events

Sign up, or join the waitlist when an event is full.

Turn on browser notifications

Bookings, changes and messages reach you at once.

Make one direct ask this week

Ask your mentor for one introduction, or ask an old colleague one question.

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