Victoria, Geography student, was interested in a career in Financial Markets and so applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain insight into the industry. Through the scheme, Victoria was matched with a Partner in Corporate Finance for KPMG who has previously worked as Head of European Project Finance for HSBC.

“There is nothing to lose”

Victoria achieved all of her objectives including to utilise her 8 week internship most effectively in order to be considered for a graduate role at the end of it, increase her knowledge of job hunting resources and increase her knowledge of effective application forms.

Victoria shared her experience in more detail:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

My mentor was great at supporting me throughout. Most significantly, having someone to discuss work-related topics that isn’t in your field really helps – it gives an outsiders view. He was great at supporting me in making decisions whilst I was working and gave me contacts to discuss insurance related products. Moreover, having my mentor to discuss work related topics means that I was kept on my toes and kept focused.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Having someone to discuss work-related topics to, someone who has so much information about work environments and can provide insights into sectors.

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

University is fundamentally about getting qualifications to get a job afterwards – so be prepared and get an insight into a sector whilst at university, there is nothing to lose!