Janice, a History student participated in the Career Mentor Scheme and her mentor for the six-month period was Housing Development Manager & Client Lead at Exeter City Council. After completing a Building Surveying degree at Exeter, this mentor gained a variety of different professional experiences. She has previously worked at MCR Property Group as Development Manager, and at Norman Rourke Pryme Project Managers as Consultant Project Manager.

Janice found a lot of what the mentoring partnership achieved for her really useful. She improved her confidence and got help with application forms.

Were there any other objectives you achieved?

Help with overall interview questions.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Developed my confidence for interviews and got me thinking of a broader picture of my future job and what team I should go into considering my lifestyle choices.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Developing confidence to go and talk to potential employers and having further professional connections.

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

Even if you apply for a mentor who is in a profession you are not 100% sure about, it is worth considering varying options, getting feedback from an experienced professional and building confidence in a working environment.

Her mentor said:

“Being able to observe Janice grow and develop in her confidence was great!”