October 21, 2014, by James Jupe
It’s a Two-Way Street: Finding the Right eMentor for You
There are countless reasons to join the career-focused eMentoring scheme, and you’re actively encouraged to do so as a student. It’s your chance to be personable and familiar with an alumni who can offer you their experience of your chosen industry as well as giving you an opportunity to potentially widen your professional network.
What are the benefits?
Registering onto the scheme is a win-win situation for both parties. By striking up a rapport you can talk openly and freely about your career of choice. A mentor can offer you impartial, helpful advice that will broaden your knowledge base and support you throughout your studies as well as after you’ve graduated.
Being in touch with a professional on the inside can help you to get an overview of your chosen career, to help develop your commercial awareness and prepare you for the job hunt. Indeed, getting an insight into the working world and knowing the unwritten aspects of their career will make you feel more empowered and informed as a result.
How have other mentees found the experience?
We’re happy to tell you that there are a wide number of successful cases with plenty of positive feedback about the experience. Take Francesca, for example, who is studying MSc Immunology and Allergy and aspires to lecture in this subject. She found a perfect pairing with lecturer Gillian who gave consistent encouragement and various insights into her day-to-day role which proved invaluable to Francesca.
No matter what career you wish to pursue, we can help. Chloe wanted a career in publishing and was matched with publishing operations manager Hannah at Macmillan. She found her mentor to be “fantastic” and gave “great interview advice”. During the scheme Chloe secured an internship and then was offered a more permanent role as a publicity assistant for Trade Books, Oxford University Press. She’s still in touch with Hannah, so that she can ask any questions as her career progresses.
How can I make the most of eMentoring?
Whatever stage you’re at with your degree you can benefit from the scheme, but your main objective is to be as inquisitive as possible with your mentor. Find out as much as you can about your chosen industry and be sure to ask for help with job applications so that you can receive more specialised advice. Also, try to schedule in a convenient time for both of you so that there are no conflicting pressures within your timetables.
Discovering your career path can seem daunting but with a mentor you’re eased into the ‘real world’ and never alone. They can help you along regardless of whether you’re fixed on a certain career or still unsure about the future. Many of our students find the experience rewarding, engaging and fully recommend getting involved.
Here’s what our students had to say on the scheme:
“The eMentoring scheme has taught me to network and make contacts with professional people. I have developed my ability to fill in application forms and create a CV that truly reflects my personal goals and positive attributes so that when applying for positions I am more confident.”
“My mentor has been incredibly helpful as someone who I can bounce ideas off and take careers advice from — I’ll continue to speak to him about this in future.”
“It has given me a good sense of the realities of the career path, and so has grounded my expectations somewhat, which has been really useful.”
Find out more about the eMentoring scheme now – it’s the ideal you can read our webpage and sign up for a mentor through My Career.
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