Category Archives: Career Sector

Rachael, Law and Legal Services

law, Law and Legal Services, , ,

Rachael, a Law student, had been researching a career path at the bar prior to applying to the Career Mentor Scheme. She already had work experience as a Legal Assistant, Paralegal and Claims Handler, but wanted to receive first-hand advice about the career path and receive networking advice. Through the scheme, Rachael was matched with a Barrister for Guildhall Chambers. This mentor specialises in commercial law and financial disputes, and, has also worked for Lloyds Bank as an in-house Legal Advisor.

“Go for it, even if the person you would like to be your mentor is intimidatingly brilliant”

Rachael achieved all of her objectives for the Career Mentor Scheme, including receiving academic support, widening her contacts and networking opportunities and received work experience/ job shadowing.

Rachael shared her experience of the scheme:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

Visiting my mentor’s chambers was fantastic and also watching him in court in Cardiff and in London courts.

What did you find most useful form the mentoring experience?

Mainly insight into my chosen profession and work experience.

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

Go for it, even if the person you would like to be your mentor is intimidatingly brilliant, still apply and try. Don’t let the odds of a rejection worry you, it’s always worth a shot.

Kirby, Politics and Government

History, Politics and Government, Politics and International Relations, , ,

Kirby, a History student, applied for the Career Mentor Scheme after considering a few different career paths such as law, politics and working in the Foreign Office. Through the scheme, Kirby was matched with a Member of Parliament for West Bromwich West in the House of Commons. This mentor wanted to share his experience of the profession and provide some advice and guidance through the scheme.

“It helped me to narrow down my areas of interest, as well as providing great networking opportunities and contacts in the industry”

Kirby met all of her objectives, including being able to narrow down areas she was considering for graduate employment, increased knowledge of effective application forms in this sector and improved personal development skills.

Kirby shared her experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

  • Gaining a full tour of the Houses of Parliament
  • Understanding better the relationship between the government and NGOs/the media
  • Forming professional relationships with people at different levels of government

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

  • Networking
  • Confirming for me that I would like to work in a political organisation rather than political party

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

The scheme is as useful as you want it to be – if you are dedicated to regularly contacting your mentor and have a clear idea of what you wish to gain from the scheme it can be incredibly rewarding. As someone who was unsure of what they wanted to do after University, this scheme was useful to me as it helped me to narrow down my areas of interest, as well as providing great networking opportunities and contacts in the industry.

Emily, Education, Training and Research

Education Teaching and Research, History, , , ,

Emily, a History and German student, was interested in studying for a PGCE and working in the teaching profession. Through the Career Mentor Scheme, Emily was matched with the Headteacher of Ratcliffe College, an independent school, with previous employment including Senior Deputy Head of Kingswood School and Assistant Director of Reading Blue Coat School. This mentor is also studying for his Phd at Sheffield, alongside achieving a variety of qualifications prior.

“This is an excellent scheme to participate with as it gives you impartial support and understanding”

Emily achieved all of her objectives including increased knowledge of finding internships and work experience in this sector, increased knowledge of good/bad aspects of the profession and increased knowledge of effective application forms in the education sector.

Emily shared her experience:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

Getting an insight into the positives of teaching and the mood of the profession in light of government involvement has been an interesting and informative experience. Just being able to speak to a teacher who had been in teaching at all levels was very rewarding and a highlight of the scheme for me.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I found insight into entering the profession and possibly looking at moving towards education policy useful.

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

If you’re looking for an insight into a profession you are interested in but uncertain about, this is an excellent scheme to participate with as it gives you impartial support and understanding. I found it to be a valuable experience but I would recommend further participants to engage themselves better than I did.

Amy, Management and Consultancy

Advertising Marketing and PR, Geography, Management and Consultancy, , , , ,

Amy, Geography student, was interested in a career in Entrepreneurship after being inspired by the work of entrepreneurs, such as Casey Neistat, CEO of Beme. Through the Career Mentoring Scheme, Amy was matched with the Founder of City Mixology. This mentor has worked as a Corporate Lawyer for Slaughter and May before progressing into PR and Marketing and then working with start-ups. He has worked in London, New York and Tokyo, among other key business cities.

“The Career Mentor Scheme is the best extracurricular activity I have taken part in this year.”

Amy achieved her personal objectives of setting up a Linkedin profile, completing applications for Law vacation schemes and setting weekly goals as a means of time management. She also improved her personal development skills, widened her networking opportunities and increased her knowledge of sector entry requirements.

Amy shared her experience:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

Meeting my career mentor in person was a highlight of the scheme; it gave an opportunity to continue conversations face-to-face which had only been conducted over email previously.

Being able to increase my confidence in formal communication on a professional level from emails and phone calls, to meeting in person has definitely been a highlight over the whole scheme for me.

Despite not being successful in obtaining a law vacation scheme, being able to submit multiple applications and cover letters to magic circle law firms and making it through the initial stages of application in some cases has been a huge achievement considering my complete lack of experience in the sector beforehand.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Being able to receive first hand insight into my chosen sectors (law and entrepreneurship) was immeasurably useful. It is so different to simply reading about that particular career, I am now able to fully appreciate both the pros and cons associated with the sector. It has helped me narrow down my career path moving forward.

Perhaps most useful, has been the transferable skills I have gained from the scheme. I now have fully functioning LinkedIn and RiseTo profiles as well as hugely improved CV. I am now able to conduct formal and professional emails, phone calls and face-to-face meetings – these skills have vastly increased my confidence and will be extremely useful in future professional settings.

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

The Career Mentor Scheme is the best extracurricular activity I have taken part in this year. It helps to start you on your career path well before graduation is even on the horizon and has provided me with numerous transferable and valuable skills which I can apply into everything from everyday situations to more formal interactions and interviews. It is an extremely rewarding way to spend your time and gives the opportunity to network and boost employability skills.

Elizabeth, Management and Consultancy

Management and Consultancy, , ,

Elizabeth, a first year economics student, interested in Management took part in the Career Mentor Scheme in 2013. Through the scheme, Elizabeth was assigned an Industry Strategy & Transformation Consultant for Accenture who graduated from the University of Exeter in 2009.

elizabeth

Elizabeth said she felt she had achieved all of the objectives she had set for the Career Mentor Scheme, including:

  • Gaining understanding of how to get in to the management sector and an insight into the good and bad aspects of the industry
  • Improving personal skills needed for graduate employment e.g. confidence building
  • Obtaining help to improve her CV and getting help with application forms, cover letters and interview techniques

We asked Elizabeth a few questions about her experience. Here’s what she said…

What was your highlight of the scheme?

The adaptability of my mentor to suit my needs, as well as obtaining exceptionally useful knowledge from an individual who is high up in the sector I wish to enter.

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

Think carefully about which type of mentor will give you advice around an area that you are really interested in. This will mean you can obtain advice about entering a sector that really gives you motivation and enjoyment from any future opportunities that may arise.

Anna, Science

Geography, Science, ,

Anna, a second year Geography student, took part in the Career Mentor Scheme in 2013 and was assigned a Scientific Consultant for the Met Office. The mentor had a BSc in Geography from the University of Birmingham (2011) and an MSc in Applied Meteorology from the University of Reading (2012). Her role for the Met Office involved working on meteorological consultancy projects across a range of sectors, and she was also a member of Weather Analytics where she was responsible for supplying historical weather data to clients.

anna

Anna said she felt she had achieved all of the objectives she had set for the Career Mentor Scheme, including:

  • Developing professional contacts and networking opportunities
  • Gaining knowledge of how to get in to the environmental sector
  • Improving her CV and getting help with application forms, cover letters and interview techniques
  • Gaining professional work experience

We asked Anna a few questions about her experience. Here’s what she said…

What was your highlight of the scheme?

Gaining two days of work experience at the Met Office and having the chance to network with people who work there and build contacts.

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

Apply, as it can lead to valuable work experience and the chance to have 1:1 career advice and guidance from a professional.

 

 

Aimee, Human Resources

Human Resources Recruitment and Training, Psychology

Aimee participated in the Career Mentor Scheme during her second year. Interested in Human Resources, Aimee was matched with a University of Exeter alumnus and Human Resources Manager for the General council of the bar.

Aimee was able to visit her mentor’s place of work in Sitingbourne to gain invaluable insight into the field and felt that her objectives for the mentor scheme had mostly been met. She was able to improve her confidence and personal skills necessary for graduate employment as well as learn about good and bad aspects of the sector. Aimee also felt that she had made a friend and future professional contact in her mentor.

Aimee shared some insights into the ways in which the scheme was beneficial to her:

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

I met my mentor at their place of work and I was able to talk with other members of the department as well as my mentor.  

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I gained valuable insight into my chosen profession and advice on the methods that are available to me in order to achieve a successful career in the field.

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

It is a very useful scheme that enables you to gain an invaluable insight into your chosen profession and in particular from an individual, in my experience, who is more than happy to provide plenty of advice and guidance! 

Megan, Healthcare and Wellbeing

Healthcare and Wellbeing, Psychology, ,

Megan, a Psychology student, was looking to get help and guidance into the Healthcare and Wellbeing sector. Through the Career Mentor Scheme she was matched with a Clinical Psychology at Research Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology University College London.

ducks-in-a-row-1316756

The partnership helped Megan in various ways, including improving her confidence to seek graduate level employment and improved her professional contacts. Megan revealed more details about how the scheme was beneficial to her.

How do you feel the mentoring process has enhanced your employability?

I have a much more thorough understanding of how to approach gaining entry to the DClinPsy and necessary experience prior to this. I also have a much better understanding of what the job itself entails, which is one of the crucial things they look for in applicants. I feel more confident in talking about Clinical Psychology (the terms used etc.) and have been able to ask questions in a supportive environment. I’ve also had really valuable feedback on tailoring my CV to my field, and putting the year’s mentoring scheme on there is great in itself!

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insight into the career, and what an “average day” looks like has probably been the most valuable experience. Because getting work experience or shadowing is very difficult in clinical psychology, the opportunity to gain inside knowledge and just to hear the way things are discussed (getting used to the terms and abbreviations used etc.) is really useful. Also the opportunity to ask questions which may seem silly and you wouldn’t want to ask in a more formal setting. As such a competitive course to get on, any advice on the interview process and which jobs are the best kind of experience prior to the doctorate, is like gold dust!

Why should students apply to have a mentor?

Any experience you can gain during your time at University will help you once you graduate. The chance to be paired with a professional in your field, who has signed up solely to help you and enhance your career chances and understanding, is amazing! It’s small things like being able to ask those questions that seem a bit too obvious, or silly to ask someone in a more formal setting that really make the scheme worthwhile. I can’t explain how much I’ve learned and gained from this, definitely recommend.

Jessica, Advertising, Marketing and PR

Advertising Marketing and PR, English, ,

Jessica, doing a degree in English, needed advice and guidance into the Advertising, Marketing and PR sector. She participated in the Career Mentor Scheme and her mentor was Head of Sales and Marketing at the University of Exeter.

At the time the mentor’s main responsibilities were to maximise income and profitability through effective utilisation of space and service when not in use by staff and students and to develop and deliver business strategy across the team, identifying new opportunities and co-ordinating with other services.

Jessica McKenzie

Here is how her mentor’s support was helpful to Jessica:

How do you feel the career mentor scheme has helped you overall?

The scheme has helped me on a personal level; it has given me the confidence to apply and also interview for graduate positions, it has improved my knowledge of the marketing sector and has given me an idea of the career path I wish to take upon graduating. However, having a mentor has helped me on a very practical level; I was offered two weeks paid experience after my summer exams. Whilst this was not a reason for participating in the scheme, it enabled me to have a closer working relationship with my mentor. At the very least, I have made a valuable professional contact and it is these connections that will prove invaluable in my career.  

How do you feel the mentoring process has enhanced your employability?

I have signed a contract to begin a two year graduate scheme with Tesco this September, after completing a two month internship last summer. The confidence my mentor instilled in me to apply to such internships was really beneficial. I was initially worried that being an English student would mean I did not have the numerical aptitude to compete with the Economics and Maths students. But my mentor assured me I had other, equally useful skills and it was these that I tried to implement in my assessment centre. Her knowledge of what employers look for in candidates was really useful and this definitely helped in my preparation for assessment centres/ interviews.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

The two weeks paid work experience was obviously a highlight, but not only for monetary perspective (it paid over half of my accommodation for my summer internship). It was a great insight into her career and it was particularly fascinating to see how the commercial side of the University is run in tangent with the academic. Apart from this, my mentor’s advice and support was really useful. Last year, I went a bit crazy applying for internships and work experience and my April I had been offered four placements, all of which I planned to take. My mentor kept reminding me to make sure I had time to relax and that to ensure I did not split my time too thinly; with hindsight this was the most useful advice anyone could have given me!

Why should students apply to have a mentor?

In this competitive job market students really need to know what they want to do before graduation, so having a mentor is a fantastic way to gain insight into a sector you are interested in. Just having somebody to talk to and listen to is incredibly useful in gaining this insight and planning a career beyond graduation. Even a few meetings can go a long was in determining what you want to do with your future. This can give you a higher level of confidence and insight when applying to graduate schemes, which can ultimately be the difference in you being offered a position – it worked for me!

Florence, Media, Publishing and Journalism

English, Media Publishing and Journalism, , ,

Florence was doing an English degree, but wanted to pursue a different career path – one in the Media, Publishing and Journalism sector. In order to get support she applied for the Career Mentor Scheme and her mentor was a freelance Sports Journalist.

Florence Christie

Florence shared more with us about the scheme.

How do you feel the career mentor scheme has helped you overall?

One way in which the Career Mentor Scheme has helped me is that it has raised my confidence about the skills that I have gathered during my time at university and how to apply them to the world of employment. I now feel as though I have the tools to gain employment in a job that I would like to pursue making it not feel like a distant pipedream but closer to reality. Similarly, the mentorship also helped me to hone in on the type of journalism that I would like to pursue in the future helping me to focus my interests and opening up different possibilities that I had not considered before.

How do you feel the mentoring process has enhanced your employability?

It has enhanced my employability tremendously. The help that I received for my CV was invaluable. It sounds silly now but before I did the scheme, I didn’t realise that there were completely different ways of structuring your CV so that it would fit the criteria of a journalist. I had always been told to follow a specific brief, but after speaking with Tim, I realised that there were things that I could include on my CV that would showcase that I had some journalistic skills in my tool kit- such as adding my Twitter handle to my contact information and writing ‘Media Experience’ rather than ‘Relevant Experience’- small things like that go a long way.

Similarly, through asking me questions that I would encounter in interviews which as I have learnt involve informal chats, such as “what would I change about my favourite magazine?”, or “Who is your favourite journalist? I was able to think through these questions and hence be able to understand the process of getting a journalist job more clearly.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

It was great to speak to somebody who had gone through the experience before. At our first meeting we had a long conversation about the best ways into the magazine industry and he told me all about the different entries into the industry which I had never thought about before. Straight away he helped me improve my CV and also told me the realities of working in journalism would be. When I was searching for internships, my mentor was always on hand to read my applications letters and offer support. In fact, I managed to secure an internship at a content marketing firm through a connection of his which resulted in being commissioned to write an article that went onto publication for the company. At this internship I was able to meet other professionals who also offered great advice and support and recommended other companies to approach in terms of work experience. Tim also encouraged me to develop some skills that I was missing such as InDesign skills and over time I have had the opportunity to do so.

Why should students apply to have a mentor?

As I said earlier it is really helpful to be able to speak to someone who has gone through what you have gone through before. It is great to speak to friends and family but it was nice to have a conversation with somebody who shared the same interests as you and could help you to understand the industry more clearly. My mentor gave me the confidence to believe that I was good enough to become a journalist and I really appreciate all the help that he gave me.