August 4, 2021, by indybamra1
Why You Should Apply to the Career Mentoring Programme
By Lowri White, third-year BA (Hons) Classics
My experience with career mentoring was essential in confirming my career route and providing me with the confidence to do so. The career mentoring experience provided me with a unique insight and unrivalled advice that was important to me. The opportunity to get advice and insight from someone who had been in my position and has experience in the sector I wanted to go into was really invaluable!
My mentor
My career mentor was Giles Woodhouse, Chief Strategy Officer at Wessex Archaeology. I felt that Giles was a good match because he is an archaeologist who had a similar university background to me as a Classics student which provided common ground at our first meeting. We communicated primarily through email and Microsoft teams. This provided a great platform to easily share documents and get feedback.
We scheduled a video call roughly every fortnight which provided enough time for us to work on the areas we had discussed in previous meetings. The video calls were especially beneficial as putting a face to the name meant the mentorship felt a lot more friendly and personable. The personalised and supportive nature of my mentorship was amazing and made the process a lot less daunting. Giles carefully prepared for our mentoring sessions and personalised each meeting towards me and my goals.
The mentorship
The mentorship helped me gain a unique insight into the heritage sector and the roles within it. Looking through the roles that the heritage sector, (particularly museums), offered, and the skills that the sector desire, made me feel more prepared in my pursuit to enter the field. This ultimately made my goals feel more achievable and realistic, cementing my desire to pursue work in this competitive field. Hearing about Giles’ career experience and path provided a real insight into the sector. Through Giles’ mentorship, I gained a lot of confidence in my skills and experiences. Together we improved my CV to better present the skills and volunteering experience I already had.
The mentoring process was tailored to my needs and questions which meant that I gained so much from my mentorship in addition to the insight into the sector. I struggled with public speaking, so we devoted a session specifically to that which was really useful and provided me with tips and advice that continue to benefit me in this area today. He took the time to get to know me, my personality, and my career goals so that the mentorship could be best tailored to me and my career path which was really beneficial.
Future plans
I hope to stay in touch with my mentor as I continue my academic and career progression. We have connected on LinkedIn and occasionally email each other. It’s amazing to have a connection within the industry already and someone to turn to for further advice or application tips if I need it!
My advice to anyone considering taking part in the career mentoring scheme who may be hesitant – just apply! The scheme helped confirm my career aspirations and provided me with the confidence to pursue them.
I was initially so nervous about meeting with Giles but the mentorship scheme was encouraging and supportive. This experience is truly unique and provides an insight that you will not find anywhere else. Once you meet your mentor it’s important to be open about your worries or areas you need advice on in this process, to really get the advice and insight that will benefit you and hopefully help you achieve your career aspirations. I am so happy I applied to this scheme and would recommend it to everyone!
Our career mentors are drawn from different sectors and professions, are at varying stages of their careers and have all volunteered their time to provide one-to-one support and advice to find out more, visit our webpage. If you’d like to discuss your career activities with one of our advisers you can book a careers appointment.
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