Mentors are only human, and some will have hurt feelings when a mentorship ends unexpectedly. While you want to be as polite and respectful as possible, remember that you can't take responsibility for another person's feelings. Your mentor may feel embarrassed or angry when you end things, which is why you want to give him or her advance notice of the end date. That way, he or she isn't put on the spot and will have time to process emotions before the last meeting.

On the flip side, your mentor may also feel that the relationship has run its course and didn't know how to break things off first with you. In this case, he or she may feel a sense of relief.

Some mentor relationships will transition to professional or personal friendships, while others will not. If you'd like to stay in touch with your mentor, tell him or her that you'd enjoy meeting up every once in a while for lunch or dinner. If you don't want to see him or her out of the professional setting, then simply thank him or her and say that you're grateful for all the help. End the conversation by briefly summarizing the successes of the mentorship and thanking your mentor one last time.