Category Archives: Charity and Development Work

Lara, Charity and Development Work

Charity and Development Work, History

Lara, History student, applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain key employability skills, but also learn more about pursuing a career in the charitable sector. Through the scheme, Lara was matched with the Alumni Relations Manager at Royal Holloway, University of London. This mentor’s role involves managing relationships, drafting communications and organising events for both staff and students.

“Receive first hand advice in a relaxed and enjoyable environment.”

Lara achieved many objectives including receiving an offer of future help with applications, advice on using LinkedIn successfully and improved personal development skills.

Lara shared her experience:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

I really enjoyed the scheme and meeting my mentor in person was a key highlight as it allowed me to have a really in depth discussion about my career options, and receive a lot of advice personal to me.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Important advice on how best to fill out applications and networking opportunities.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

It really is such a great opportunity to gain a real insight into your chosen sector and receive first hand advice in a relaxed and enjoyable environment.

Claire, Charity and Development

Charity and Development Work, English

Claire, English student, was interested in a career in the Charity sector and applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain an understanding of career progression and life working in the third sector. Through the scheme, Claire was matched with an Application Development and Support Manager at RSPB. Melissa’s main responsibility is on team management of the 2nd line IT team who support and develop the business applications.

“Insight into my chosen profession and sector”

Claire achieved all of her objectives including gained an understanding of the personal and day to day aspects of a career in the nature conservation sector, increased knowledge of sector entry requirements and increased knowledge of effective interview techniques.

Claire shared her experience:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

The highlight of my experience was how lovely and helpful my mentor was. She was both extremely friendly and professional, it was a pleasure to have discussions with her both over the phone and in person. She was also very proactive in obtaining me advice and information about working in public relations even though it wasn’t her specialism.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insight into my chosen profession and sector – my mentor obtained useful information from the public relations department in the RSPB which aided me in understanding how to best represent my work experience and answer interview questions in a focused and engaged manner.

Noor, Charity and Development

Charity and Development Work, Geography

Noor, Geography student, applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain a better understanding of the Charity sector and have specific career related questions answered. Through the scheme, Noor was matched with the Chief Executive at The Haven. This mentor has also worked for the Royal Navy, Civil Service and Breast Cancer Haven.

“Take this opportunity and really engage with it”

Noor achieved all of her objectives, including a personal objective of gaining some understanding of the public sector which was achieved through meeting with her mentor and having in-depth conversations.

Noor shared her experience:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

The highlight for me was going to the workplace of my mentor for a face-to-face meeting. This gave me the opportunity to ask questions and for a conversation to flow much more naturally than it would have over the telephone.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I found the detailed insight into my chosen sector the most useful part of the experience.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Having a mentor not only allowed me to develop my potential in regard to employability but made me more confident in my own abilities. I feel, thanks to the career mentor scheme, I am now in a more advantageous position to be filling out applications and attending interviews. I would definitely advise future students considering the scheme to take this opportunity and really engage with it!

Sarah, Charity and Development Work

Biosciences, Charity and Development Work, ,

Sarah, an Animal Behaviour student, was interested in a career in the Charitable Sector after volunteering for multiple charitable organisations. She wanted to learn more about the specific fields that are available in her specialism. Through the Career Mentor Scheme, Sarah was matched with the Volunteering Development Manager for Children’s Hospice Association Scotland. This mentor also has a Managing Voluntary and Community Organisations foundation degree and vast employment history in this sector.

“For as little as one skype session per month you learn so much about life outside university!”

Sarah achieved all of her objectives including increased confidence and knowledge into this sector, increased knowledge of good and bad aspects of the profession and received help to improve her CV.

Sarah shared her experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

I have really enjoyed being part of the career mentor scheme. My overall highlight was the opportunity to connect with someone who was knowledgeable about the sector I am interested in. Through this I now feel a lot more confident in my ability to find and apply for a job.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

An insight into what employers look for in an application form. I have gained tips on how to clearly put my skills forward. Through this I now feel more confident when applying for jobs.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Definitely go for it! The great thing about this scheme is that it fits around your timetable. For as little as one skype session per month you learn so much about life outside university! I have gained so much from the scheme, and would encourage anyone to participate.

Georgina, Charity and Development

Charity and Development Work, History, , , ,

Georgina, a History student, was interested in a career in the Public or Voluntary sector but was slightly confused about the overwhelming number of opportunities in both sectors. Previously, Georgina has researched the Civil Service schemes, MI5 programmes and the Met Police tracks. Through the Career Mentor Scheme, Georgina was matched with the Director of Development and Engagement for Contact a Family, a national charity supporting families with children who have disabilities or additional needs. This mentor has also worked for Join In, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, and London Voluntary Services Council.

“Make it your responsibility to make the most out of it.”

Georgina achieved many objectives including increased knowledge of job hunting resources, increased knowledge of effective application forms and a increased knowledge of finding and securing internships and work experience.

Georgina shared her experience:

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

  • Talking to a professional
  • My mentor introduced his colleagues including both recent graduates and more experienced
  • Went to a conference and saw how it operated

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Take the opportunity and make it your responsibility to make the most out of it.

Jake, Charity and Development

Charity and Development Work, Geography, ,

Jake, a Geography student, was interested in charity work after volunteering in the sector with a variety of organisations. He wanted to gain contacts and develop a deeper insight into the industry. Through the Career Mentor Scheme, Jake was matched with the Founder & Managing Director of Bhubesi Pride Foundation. His previous work experience includes Design, Technology and Physics Teacher at Dean Close School and Graduate Engineer for Parsons Brinckernoff.

“A great way to learn real life experience from someone who has been successful”

Jake achieved all of his objectives, including receiving academic support, increased knowledge of job hunting in this sector and improved personal development skills. He also described a personal objective of “working on a personal development plan throughout the scheme, allowed me to identify how I can improve myself through different scenarios.”

Jake shared his experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

Feeling as though I and Richard really got on well, both on a professional and personal level. I feel as though Richard believes in me as a person and really wants to push me forward in life.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Having a one to one basis for experience in the charity sector was probably the most useful. Richard and I worked on much of the development on the same level, and I liked the way that I could suggest improvements for myself as I progressed through the scheme.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Great way to learn real life experience in your charity from someone who has been successful and only wants the best for you! It may be scary at first but once you meet them then you’ll feel suddenly more relaxed.

Lucy, Charity and Development

Charity and Development Work, English, , , ,

Lucy, English Literature student, applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain understanding of the Charity Sector and increase her employability. Through the scheme, she was matched with the Fundraising and Communications Manager for Headway Devon. Her role includes creating fundraising and marketing strategies, bidding for public sector contracts and disseminating press releases. This mentor also has a Certificate in Fundraising Management with the Institute of Fundraising.

“I was lucky to have a very motivated and involved mentor, who was well matched to what I wanted out of the scheme.”

Lucy achieved all of her objectives including increased knowledge of good and bad aspects of the profession, received work experience/ job shadowing and increased knowledge of sector entry requirements.

Lucy shared some of her experiences;

What were the highlights of the scheme?

I was offered work experience at Headway which I really enjoyed, insofar as I applied for a part-time job there and was successful. I am now working at Headway Devon 20 hours a week, which has been great having just finished my degree.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

The work experience, as well as discussions with Holly, really helped me to gain an insight into the charity sector. Now employed in that sector, I feel more confident about working in the third sector, such as its demands, what skills are useful, and so on…

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

I would say that the amount that you put into the scheme is the amount that you will get out of it. Prepare properly for meetings and take the meetings seriously, otherwise you won’t get as much from it as you otherwise would. Respect your mentor. And finally, make sure you apply for a mentor or sector that you really are considering working in, otherwise you could waste your own as well as your mentor’s time.

Samantha, Charity and Development Work

Charity and Development Work, Psychology, , , ,

Samantha, a postgraduate Social & Organisational Psychology student was interested in going into Charity and Development work. Through the Career Mentor Scheme she was matched with a Communications and Project Manager at Oxford Brookes University.

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Samantha shared with us what the advantages of the scheme were to her. She felt she achieved every single objective she and her mentor set at the beginning of the scheme, such as developing her interview techniques, gathering information about the sector and improving her personal skills needed for graduate employment.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Visiting my mentor, sorting out my CV, and identifying how to network and build networking skills.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Going to visit my mentor and shadow her/others with her employer as it helped me understand precisely what I did and didn’t like about the sector.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

Definitely apply as you learn lots about the job area and why it is or isn’t right for you which is something research alone won’t tell you and importantly you make a friend you can keep in contact with in the future.

“I enjoy helping my mentee develop her confidence and reassure her that she doesn’t need to have every single answer just yet.” – Samantha’s mentor

Anya, Charity and Development Work

Charity and Development Work, English, History, , ,

In Term 2 of her first year Anya applied to the Career Mentor Scheme because she was looking for guidance and advice about how to get into Charity and Development work. After submitting a successful application, Anya was matched with a New Business Development Manager at Parkinsons UK.

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Through the scheme and Hannah’s help Anya achieved every single objective she had at the beginning of the scheme, including gaining work shadowing, having her CV proofread and improved and developing her interview techniques.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

My mentor kindly arranged two work insight days at her current and previous places of work. These days were incredibly valuable; rather than follow my mentor around all day, she had arranged short meetings with a variety of people, all of whom gave lots of different advice. I loved receiving a range of insights from different people.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I loved having a relatable role model in the sector – my mentor was young, female and had a similar background to me. I knew I could trust what she was saying and her advice was even more poignant because of its relevance to me.

What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?

This scheme is an absolute dream. It provides a supported, informal entrance to your chosen sector with individualized help from someone who already has experience. For me, there is no better way to find out information about a sector, profession or company. It even gives generalized advice about the workplace, the transition from university to working life, and career progression. Moreover, it allows you to build a rapport with a contact within an organization which goes beyond the end of the scheme.

The highlight for the mentor was:

“Having the opportunity to support someone so enthusiastic in the sector I was working in, and being able to understand her questions as it was where I was at 5 years ago.  The opportunity to stay connected to my university and offer a student real insight into a place of work.”

Gemma, Charity and Development Work

Charity and Development Work, Politics and International Relations, , , , , ,

Gemma was interested in getting into Charity and Development Work. Studying towards a Politics and International Relations degree she applied for the Career Mentor Scheme and was as a result matched with a Fundraising (Development) Manager at the University of Exeter.

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Gemma found the mentoring partnership extremely helpful. She shared with us how the Career Mentor Scheme has helped her career development.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

The highlights of the scheme were gaining a real insight into the advantages and disadvantages of the not for profit sector, in particular the area of fundraising. My mentor was able to provide me with detailed information that is impossible to just find online. I was able to really consider what work experience I need to gain to prepare for my career and the steps required to gain a job.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I found that insight into the not for profit sector was the most useful aspect of the mentor scheme.