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.

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!