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.

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.”