Emma, History student, applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to understand what makes a great teacher and how she can develop her skills to suit this. Through the scheme, Emma was matched with a Geography graduate from the University of Exeter who is now a Geography Teacher and Head of Department at Rookwood School.

“I learnt so much more from my mentor than I found on websites and other careers resources”

Emma tells us more about her experience below:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

It was great to get an honest opinion about teaching – it was good to know what kind of skills and experience schools look for in teachers, and how I can best demonstrate this in my applications and interviews.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Insight into the sector, CV improvements, understanding what skills to develop for the sector.

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

The scheme is a great way of getting personal insight into the career sector you are interested in. I learned so much more from my mentor about the education sector and teaching than I found on websites and other careers resources because the personal experiences they could draw on. They provided great help with my CV and applications for further study/employment.