Questions to Ask a Career Expert

Most career advice calls fail for one reason: the question is too broad. "What should I do with my career?" puts the whole problem on the expert. A specific question gives them something to work with and gives you an answer you can act on.

Before the call: define one decision

Pick the decision in front of you. For example: should I move into product management, should I ask for a raise, or how do I explain a career gap in interviews? Write it in one sentence. Then write what you have already tried and what a good outcome would look like.

This takes five minutes and doubles the value of the call. You are not asking the expert to solve your life; you are asking them to help with one well-defined step.

Questions about direction and switching

• What did your first year in this role actually look like, and what surprised you?
• Which skills mattered most when you moved into this field, and which ones were less important than people think?
• If you were starting from my background today, what would you do in the first 30 days?
• What would make you hesitate to hire someone with my profile, and how could I address that?

Questions about interviews

• What separates a good interview answer from a great one in this role?
• How would you tell the story of my experience in a way that fits this job?
• What questions should I ask the interviewer to understand whether the team is healthy?
• Could we do a five-minute mock interview, and can you tell me one thing to change?

Questions about salary and offers

• How would you approach the salary conversation at my experience level?
• What matters more in an offer: base pay, learning, title, or flexibility — and why?
• What have you seen backfire when candidates negotiate, and what has worked?

Questions about growth and burnout

• What did you do in your first six months to build credibility with a new team?
• How do you decide what to say no to when everything feels urgent?
• What is one habit that made the biggest difference to your career, and one that wasted your time?
• What would you do differently if you were in my position today?

How to follow up

Before the call ends, repeat back the one action you are taking. Then ask if you can send a short update in a few weeks. You do not need to become a burden; a single follow-up with what you tried and what happened is often appreciated.

After the call, write three lines: the advice that mattered, the action you will take, and the date you will do it. A conversation only becomes valuable when it changes something.

Where to find a career expert

On Talk2Mee, browse people by career, business, study, and life topics, then send a consent-based voice or video call request. You can start with one question and see where the conversation goes.

If confidence in English is part of the problem, read how to practise speaking English and combine interview practice with English practice.

Frequently asked questions