Guest Mentorship (for Learners)

The SLP Leadership Team is excited to be running a new version of our Guest Mentorship program this year! Please read this document in full before emailing your Guest Mentor. This document may look intimidatingly long, but worry not--we’re just instructing you to write a couple emails and ask a few questions :)

If you have any questions or concerns, please ping @Guest Mentorship on Discord or email slp@aswf.io.

Learner Goals

• Build professional relationships

  • by meeting with an industry professional

  • by working closely with another Learner

• Expose you further to the industry

  • by asking questions to someone who may be in a role/company you’re not already familiar with

• Sharpen your networking skills

  • by reaching out to their Guest Mentor yourselves

  • by leading the conversation with your Partner Learner

Structure

One hour-long, virtual meeting, which includes yourself, your Partner Learner, and your Guest Mentor, to take place before the end of the SLP (31 July 2026). You’ll reach out to your Guest Mentor yourselves to schedule this meeting. Your Guest Mentor will not come to the meeting prepared with anything – it’s up to you and your Partner Learner to come up with questions and discussion topics in advance. More on this below!

Timeline of Action Items

• ASAP: Coordinate Meeting Times and Email Roles. Chat with your Partner Learner. Figure out what times you both are both available to meet with your Guest Mentor. Also decide which of you will be the “Opener” and which will be the “Closer.”

• By Tuesday, June 16: Schedule Meeting. The “Opener” should email your Guest Mentor to schedule a meeting. They should CC the “Closer” and slp@aswf.io. See below for what info to include in your email.

• At least 24 hours before meeting: Prepare Questions. With your Partner Learner, prepare a list of questions for your Guest Mentor.

• Day of meeting: Attend, learn, and enjoy!

• Within 24 hours after meeting: Thank Mentor. The “Closer” should email your Guest Mentor (in the same thread that the “Opener” started) and say thank you.

Action Items, Explained

Coordinating Meeting Times

Find as many days/times as possible (between now and July 31) during which you and your Partner Learner are both available to meet. When finding times with your Partner Learner, we suggest using https://www.when2meet.com/ – just make sure you select the correct time zone before inputting times.

• Tip: Tools like When2meet are great for coordinating times with your peers, but please don’t send one to someone you’re asking a favor from (like your Guest Mentor)! Folks are busy, and filling out a When2Meet asks them for an unnecessary amount of effort on top of the time they’re giving you to meet. Just give them a list of times and let them pick one!

Emailing Your Guest Mentor

Before emailing your Guest Mentor, chat with your Partner Learner and decide who will be the “Opener” (sends the email requesting a meeting) and who will be the “Closer” (sends the thank-you email).

Opening Email

By Tuesday, June 16, The “Opener” should email your Guest Mentor to schedule a meeting. Please CC the “Closer” and CC slp@aswf.io. In this email:

• Include “ASWF Guest Mentorship” in the subject line.

• State that you’re both mentees with the ASWF Summer Learning Program.

• Provide a short (1-3 sentence) introduction for each Learner.

• Provide a list of days/times on which BOTH you and your Partner Learner are available to meet. Please convert these times to your Guest Mentor’s time zone. Ask them what works best for them.

• Thank them.

If you’re not yet comfortable writing such emails yet, here’s a sample email you could alter for your purposes:

• Mondays 6/8, 6/15, 6/22, 6/29: 9-10am and 4-9pm

• Mondays 7/22, 7/29: 3-7pm

• Wednesdays 6/17, 7/1, 7/15: 3-7pm

• Thursday 7/23: 9am-9pm

• Saturdays 6/27, 7/11: 4-9pm

Closing Email

Within 24 hours after your meeting, the “Closer” should email your Guest Mentor to thank them for their time. This email should be a reply to the email chain that the “Opener” previously started in order to schedule your meeting. In this email:

• Say thank you

• Be succinct

• Mention something specific you found insightful, or mention a little follow-up research you did on their suggestion

If you’re not yet comfortable writing such emails yet, here’s a sample email you could alter for your purposes:

Preparing Questions

At least 24 hours before your meeting, meet with your Partner Learner to prepare a list of questions for your Guest Mentor and plan how you’ll ask them (e.g., who will ask what? Will you alternate?). Below is a list of questions which you are welcome to draw from, but we also encourage you to think of your own questions. Try to think of questions that can’t be answered by sifting through Google or Wikipedia for 20mins. Consider researching your Guest Mentor to develop highly specific questions that are tailored to their experiences.

Career Journey & Personal Story

1. What first drew you into this industry?

2. Was there a specific moment when you knew this was the career path for you?

3. What did your path into the industry look like?

4. What were some unexpected turns in your career?

5. If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

6. What was your first role in the industry, and what did you learn from it?

7. What experiences helped accelerate your growth the most?

8. Were there any mentors who had a major impact on your career?

9. What are you most proud of professionally?

10. If you were graduating today, how would you approach entering the industry?

Understanding Their Role

11. What does a typical day look like for you?

12. What are some daily tasks that take up most of your time?

13. What parts of your job do people often misunderstand?

14. What are the most rewarding aspects of your role?

15. What are the most challenging aspects?

16. What skills are most important for success in your position?

17. What surprised you most when you started doing this work?

18. What does success look like in your role?

19. How do you measure impact in your position?

20. What kinds of problems do you enjoy solving most?

Industry & Studio Insights

21. What are you working on right now that you're able to share?

22. What trends are you most excited about in the industry?

23. What changes do you think will significantly impact the field over the next few years?

24. What technologies are becoming increasingly important?

25. What skills do you think are becoming less important?

26. What skills do you think are becoming more important?

27. What makes your organization unique?

28. How does your studio approach innovation?

29. What do you think the industry gets right?

30. What do you think the industry could improve?

Hiring & Recruiting

31. Have you been involved in hiring or interviewing candidates? If so, what does that process look like for entry-level candidates?

32. What stands out in a strong resume?

33. What stands out in a strong portfolio, demo reel, or GitHub profile?

34. What are common mistakes applicants make?

35. What separates a good candidate from an AWESOME candidate?

36. What technical skills are most valuable for entry-level hires?

37. What soft skills are most valuable for entry-level hires?

38. What qualities make someone enjoyable to work with on a team?

39. If you were reviewing applications today, what would catch your attention?

40. What experiences help candidates stand out even if they don't have industry experience?

41. I'm not too familiar with the pros/cons of contract work but I know that can be a big part of the industry. Can you tell me about contract work?

Technical & Production Questions

42. How do technical and creative teams collaborate at your organization?

43. What are the biggest technical challenges your team is currently facing?

44. What pipeline bottlenecks do you encounter most often?

45. How do you balance technical constraints with creative goals?

46. What tools, software, or technologies do you use most frequently?

47. What scripting or programming skills have been most valuable in your career?

48. How has AI affected your work so far?

49. How do you stay current as tools and technologies evolve?

Technical Director / Pipeline / Engineering-Specific Questions

50. Technical Director means different things at different studios. What does a TD do at your organization?

51. How do engineers best support artists in production?

52. What does a successful pipeline engineer look like at your studio?

53. How do you decide what work should be automated?

54. What makes a great tool?

55. What are common challenges when building artist-facing software?

56. How do teams handle technical debt in production pipelines?

57. What skills help someone transition from student projects to production-scale systems?

58. How important are USD, MaterialX, OCIO, Unreal, Houdini, or other technologies in your workflow?

59. What technical problems do you expect to become more important in the next few years?

Networking & Relationship Building

60. How do you maintain professional relationships throughout your career?

61. What advice do you have for someone trying to build a professional network?

62. Are there communities, conferences, or organizations you recommend joining?

63. What books, podcasts, newsletters, or resources have influenced you?

64. Is there someone else you think I should speak with to learn more about this area?

65. Would it be okay if I connected with you on LinkedIn? (if they say no, make sure to gracefully say "no problem! I appreciate your time today")

66. How can students make networking conversations more meaningful?

67. Is there any way I can support or contribute to the communities you're involved with?

Reflection & Advice

68. What is one lesson that took you a long time to learn?

69. What skill had the highest return on investment in your career?

70. I am fascinated by [X] and am strong in [these areas] -- does that sound like any job you know?

71. What should someone focus on during the next 6–12 months if they want to enter this field?

72. If you were in my position, what would you prioritize learning right now?

73. What do you wish more students asked about?

74. What advice would you give someone feeling uncertain about their career direction?

75. What keeps you motivated after many years in the industry?

76. Is there anything you think I should have asked but didn't?