September 30, 2013, by Jemma Utley

The 3 Ds of a quality application for career-focused eMentoring

By Adam Shooter, Postgraduation and Statistics Coordinator (Alumni volunteering & eMentoring)

The eMentoring scheme puts you in contact with alumni currently working in industries or positions that you may be considering as a future career. It is a unique opportunity to gain an insight into the inner workings of an industry that you might not find on employer or recruitment websites.

Read ‘Be inspired by alumni‘ for more information about the benefits of the scheme.

Why is writing a quality application important?

A quality application is important as it allows us to develop a good idea of what you want for your future and from your mentor. We need this information to match you with someone who meets your needs, so that you can get the most out of the scheme.

What makes a quality application?

A number of different aspects make a quality application, though there are three main areas that you should focus upon: detail, drive and desire.

Detail

• Keep it relevant. While detail is important, don’t include anything that doesn’t contribute to our understanding of why you want to explore your chosen career.
• Always be sure to put as much relevant detail into an application as possible, you will be asked about previous work experience, your career aspirations and what you expect to gain from having a mentor.

Drive

• Showing that you are driven to develop yourself and your understanding of the road that lies ahead is very important.
• You might not have a  company or profession in mind but you could be driven by other factors such as a desire to work in another country. These details are used to match you with a mentor who has experience that relates to your ambitions to help you along your way.

Desire

• What will having a professional mentor mean to you? This helps us to match you with a one who can help you with your needs.
• While mentoring is a unique opportunity, understanding your enthusiasm and reason for being mentored will transfer into building new professional networks in the future.

Applications close 14 October! If you have any questions about your online application, then email alumnivolunteering@nottingham.ac.uk.

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