All posts by Joanna Louise McCreedie

Madalina, Management and Consultancy

Business and Management, Management and Consultancy, ,

Madalina, Business and Management student, was interested in going into Management and Consultancy. Through the Career Mentor Scheme she was matched with a Group Operations Director at Catlin.

This mentor’s main responsibilities include managing Process Change, Education, Knowledge and Programme. She has a wide range of experiences including previously working as an Associate Partner at IBM and as Learning Solutions Consultant at PwC.

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Madalina benefited from the scheme and being mentored in a number of ways. Madalina got an insight into her chosen career and found out more about the good and bad aspects of the sector. She also received help preparing for the next steps after graduation and gathered information about the sector entry requirements.

Were there any other objectives you achieved?

I receive the personal opinion of my mentor through a professional perspective in regards to office situations and the corporate environment.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

I appreciated my mentor’s patience and guidance […] and her care in providing a balanced answer.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I enjoyed learning of my mentor’s experiences through her perspective at this point.

What were the highlights for the mentor?

“Madalina was looking for more than just career coaching, also looking to apply her academic learning through my business experiences”

Andrew, Mining, Environment and Natural Resources

Geology, Mining Environment and Natural Resources

Postgraduate student Andrew, doing Mining Geology was mentored by Head of Geology UK/Europe at Aggregate Industries Ltd.

Thus mentor graduated from Exeter with a Geology degree. He has a variety of experiences in the industry, having previously worked as an Assistant Geologist at English China Clays Quarries, as Company Geologist at Tarmac and then as a Head of Geology UK and International at Tarmac Group.

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Andrew had an outstanding experience being mentored. He achieved all of the objectives, which they set up at the beginning of their partnership, including gaining work experience, developing interview techniques, and gathering information about the sector’s entry requirements.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

My mentor was a fantastic mentor, I feel we built a strong relationship and plan to meet in the future. He became more of a friend than anything else!

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Self-reflection and defining the good and bad things about my personality.

 

Alice, Science

Biosciences, Science, , ,

Between May of her second year and October of her third year, Alice, a Zoology student was mentored by a Career Development Fellow at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

This mentor has completed a Biochemistry degree at Exeter and then pursued a PhD in Biological Sciences. Her main responsibilities include conducting seed biology research at Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, publishing work in scientific journals and training and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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Alice shared the way in which the scheme was beneficial to her. She developed professional contacts and networking opportunities and gained an insight into further education and professional courses. Alice also developed an understanding of the route to a career in research and the difficulties that she can expect and gained academic support.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I gained a unique insight into my chosen profession, with both good and bad aspects of the job itself and the application process being discussed.

Her mentor said:

“It was nice to hear about my mentee’s career plans and to see how they crystallised during the scheme.”

 

Arielle, Media, Publishing and Journalism

English, Media Publishing and Journalism, , , , ,

Arielle applied for the Career Mentor Scheme towards the end of her first year and she was matched with a freelance children’s books editor and writer. Their partnership continued until October of Arielle’s second year.

This mentor graduated with a Business and Management degree at Exeter. She has extensive experience in writing manuscripts, copy-writing, picture research, liaising with marketing, sales, freelancers and supervising an editorial assistant, amongst others. She has previously worked at John Wiley and Sons, Natural History Museum, Parragon Books and Priddy Books, MacMillan.

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The mentoring partnership with Sarah was really useful to Arielle. Arielle improved her confidence to seek graduate jobs, obtained job hunting resources and gained professional experience to put on her CV.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

It was wonderful to learn exactly what my desired job role entailed. I learned the ins-and-outs of the industry.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

My mentor provided insight into my chosen sector and gave me great feedback regarding my CV and cover letters.

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

This program is fantastic and provides valuable experience for any student who wishes to seek employment after graduation.

Jessica, Law and Legal Services

History, Law and Legal Services, ,

Jessica doing a Law degree was matched with mentor the Director of Legal & Insurance Services at the University of Exeter. A professional with a wide range of experiences, this mentor has previously worked at Bevan Ashford (now Ashfords) as an Associate Solicitor and at the University as as Contracts Manager.

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Jessica achieved many objectives during the six months in which she was mentored. She got help to prepare for her next steps after graduation,  received job hunting resources and help with application forms.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Meeting with my mentor to get to know about her career and the different sections of Law she worked through before getting to her current job.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Showing me how she got to her career has given me inspiration on how to get to this chosen career path myself. My mentor also gave me support and advice during my law internship in Singapore on how to make the most of it.

 

 

Rachel, Accounting and Auditing

Accounting and Auditing, economics, , , ,

Between May of her penultimate year and October of her final year Economics student Rachel was mentored by the UK/I Finance Controller at Unilever.

This mentor’s responsibility at Unilever is to lead a team of 80 people across all the key financial areas of the business. His has previously held various positions at Procter & Gamble, as a Financial Controller, Sales Finance Manager and Marketing Finance Manager. Prior to that he was a Tax Structured Finance Manager at Deloitte.

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Rachel discussed the advantages she got out of the scheme with us. Amongst other things their partnership achieved, Rachel received help with application forms and covering letters and developed her confidence to seek graduate level employment.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Learning about what my career mentor did and getting advice on how to get there myself.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Advice from somebody who works in the industry and can give advice on how to do well in interviews.

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

Make the most of the opportunity.

Stephanie, Education, Teaching, Research

Education Teaching and Research, Philosophy, , , , ,

Stephania, a Philosophy and Theology student was interested in going into teaching and was mentored by a Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University.

After graduating with a Politics degree from Exeter and completing a PhD in History, this mentor became a Lecturer and then a Senior Lecturer at the Department of History.

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Stephanie shared insights about her experience. She achieved many objectives, such as improving her confidence to seek graduate level employment and getting academic support. She also got information about the good and bad aspects of the profession and made a future professional contact in her mentor.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Being coached on how to make a good LinkedIn page and join academia.edu

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Being able to learn about the requirements in the sector.

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

If you have any questions about what the future holds for you and your chosen career then the career mentor scheme is worth doing. I am now so much more aware of the path I have to go down in order to achieve what I am aiming for.

 

Joshua, Mining, Environment and Natural Resources

Environment and Natural Resources, Geography, ,

Joshua, second year Geography student was matched with the Head of Energy & Environment at Bicton College.

This mentor has previously worked as a Section Leader Environment & Sustainability and Founding Associate at Catalys. Prior to that he was Head of Energy & Carbon Policy at West Midlands Development Agency and Partnership Development Manager at East Midlands Development Agency.

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Joshua had some really positive feedback to give on the ways in which the scheme was beneficial to him:

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

Massively improved application techniques and had far higher success rate than prior to the scheme.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Someone in my desired sector who could give me information and tailor my applications to what companies desire from candidates. 

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

Definitely apply for somebody within your desired career sector, they can provide you with both insight and personalised application tips for that sector.

 

 

Ray, Banking and Financial Services

Banking and Financial Services, History, Politics and International Relations,

History and Politics student Ray applied to the scheme at the end of his first year. He was matched with an International Banking Manager at HSBC Holdings plc.

Throughout his career, this mentor has gained experience in a variety of industries, including Customer Service, HR, Retail, Sales with Banking and Financial Services being his main sector.

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The partnership was a real success. Here is what Ray had to say:

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

The shadowing experience. This allowed me to experience first hand the daily working life of my mentor, his responsibilities and the working culture at the company.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

The feedback and the ability to ask questions e.g interview tips, what makes a bad CV etc. to then be given realistic answers.

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

It is a brilliant way to not only make professional connections but to also provide you with a means to have those questions, myths and issues relating to the world of work properly answered.

Christina, Law and Legal Services

law, Law and Legal Services

During her third year Christina, who was working towards a LLB Law degree, was matched with mentor a Consultant at Green Square Advisers.

This mentor red the same degree as Christina in Exeter: LLB Law. He has worked at various organisations throughout his career including Accenture, ITV digital, BBC Worldwide, and KPMG, where he was a Director of Corporate Finance at the Media Team.

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Christina informed us of how beneficial the scheme was to her.

Amongst achieving other objectives she had, Christina gained a graduate position as a trainee solicitor with an international law firm during the mentoring partnership.

What were the highlights of the scheme for you?

A highlight for me during the scheme was gaining a training contract with an international law firm. I attribute part of this achievement to my mentor as he proofread my CV in addition to giving me some tips on how to improve it. My mentor also offered interview techniques and helped me prepare for some likely interview questions which proved extremely useful.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

[…] My mentor put me in contact with professional contacts he knew that were based closer to where I live. This enhanced my networking opportunities and gave me the chance to speak to someone in person about my goals and enabled me to gain a further insight into my chosen profession.

Her mentor said:

“[The highlights for me were] providing advice to Christina and connecting her to friends that I have in the legal profession in very senior positions who were able to meet with her and give her valuable advice!”