You have the opportunity to make a real difference to the career aspirations of one of our students and help them to achieve their potential.
The Insider Career Mentoring Programme run by the Careers and Employability Service is an incredibly valuable resource for our students as they begin to think about life after university. The programme aims to match you with a student who would benefit from your skills, knowledge and experience.
Our students are diverse, talented and motivated to achieve their potential. Some have very clear career visions and would benefit from some assistance in realising them. Others are less clear and would value the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and ideas and gain insights into the world of work. We know that as alumni, you are ideally placed to help them navigate this stage of their lives and that it is you that they want to hear from more than anyone else.
As well as being personally rewarding, the programme also offers you many other potential benefits, including:
- Developing leadership/management skills
- Learning new skills and perspectives
- Enhancing your CV
- Increasing your networks
- Gaining recognition for your skills and expertise
- Benefiting from a sense of fulfilment and personal growth
- Engaging in a volunteering opportunity
- Developing your communication and personal skills
Some of our previous mentors spoke to us about their experiences of the programme:
“I have found it rewarding to help in the progress of my mentee towards her career goals by leveraging on my own career and professional contacts to date. I have also enjoyed this opportunity to continue my engagement with the University”.
“It was an excellent opportunity to pass on some of the lessons learnt the hard way since graduation to students just starting out on their journeys”.
“With two mentees the experience has been the same, a lack of industry knowledge. What they are not able to see (because of their lack of experience) is how large is the breadth of career opportunities open to them. It helps considerably to open the employment world and to give them confidence in job hunting.”
The difference you could make to our mentees is powerful:
“It was really good to have the attention of a successful person who stands there to support you and help. It was good to have someone with whom I could talk about my fears, difficulties, weaknesses, and who helped me to move on. It inspired me. I found my career path and I am more confident now to enter to the job market.”
“This was a brilliant opportunity for me to gain some valuable insight into how to enhance my career.”
“I have found it extremely useful and hope to keep in touch with my mentor in the future. She was interested in assisting me to improve and I really appreciate it! If there is a chance for another mentoring programme, I would join again. Thank you!”
“My mentor set up an interview with herself and the centre manager of the company she works for. Thanks to her, I will start a six-month internship this August.”
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, you can find out more information and apply by visiting the website
If you would like more information and/or have any questions, please email mentoring@southampton.ac.uk
