All posts by pac217

Kirby, Politics and Government

History, Politics and Government, Politics and International Relations, , ,

Kirby, a History student, applied for the Career Mentor Scheme after considering a few different career paths such as law, politics and working in the Foreign Office. Through the scheme, Kirby was matched with a Member of Parliament for West Bromwich West in the House of Commons. This mentor wanted to share his experience of the profession and provide some advice and guidance through the scheme.

“It helped me to narrow down my areas of interest, as well as providing great networking opportunities and contacts in the industry”

Kirby met all of her objectives, including being able to narrow down areas she was considering for graduate employment, increased knowledge of effective application forms in this sector and improved personal development skills.

Kirby shared her experience:

What were the highlights of the scheme?

  • Gaining a full tour of the Houses of Parliament
  • Understanding better the relationship between the government and NGOs/the media
  • Forming professional relationships with people at different levels of government

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

  • Networking
  • Confirming for me that I would like to work in a political organisation rather than political party

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

The scheme is as useful as you want it to be – if you are dedicated to regularly contacting your mentor and have a clear idea of what you wish to gain from the scheme it can be incredibly rewarding. As someone who was unsure of what they wanted to do after University, this scheme was useful to me as it helped me to narrow down my areas of interest, as well as providing great networking opportunities and contacts in the industry.

Emily, Education, Training and Research

Education Teaching and Research, History, , , ,

Emily, a History and German student, was interested in studying for a PGCE and working in the teaching profession. Through the Career Mentor Scheme, Emily was matched with the Headteacher of Ratcliffe College, an independent school, with previous employment including Senior Deputy Head of Kingswood School and Assistant Director of Reading Blue Coat School. This mentor is also studying for his Phd at Sheffield, alongside achieving a variety of qualifications prior.

“This is an excellent scheme to participate with as it gives you impartial support and understanding”

Emily achieved all of her objectives including increased knowledge of finding internships and work experience in this sector, increased knowledge of good/bad aspects of the profession and increased knowledge of effective application forms in the education sector.

Emily shared her experience:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

Getting an insight into the positives of teaching and the mood of the profession in light of government involvement has been an interesting and informative experience. Just being able to speak to a teacher who had been in teaching at all levels was very rewarding and a highlight of the scheme for me.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

I found insight into entering the profession and possibly looking at moving towards education policy useful.

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

If you’re looking for an insight into a profession you are interested in but uncertain about, this is an excellent scheme to participate with as it gives you impartial support and understanding. I found it to be a valuable experience but I would recommend further participants to engage themselves better than I did.

Amy, Management and Consultancy

Advertising Marketing and PR, Geography, Management and Consultancy, , , , ,

Amy, Geography student, was interested in a career in Entrepreneurship after being inspired by the work of entrepreneurs, such as Casey Neistat, CEO of Beme. Through the Career Mentoring Scheme, Amy was matched with the Founder of City Mixology. This mentor has worked as a Corporate Lawyer for Slaughter and May before progressing into PR and Marketing and then working with start-ups. He has worked in London, New York and Tokyo, among other key business cities.

“The Career Mentor Scheme is the best extracurricular activity I have taken part in this year.”

Amy achieved her personal objectives of setting up a Linkedin profile, completing applications for Law vacation schemes and setting weekly goals as a means of time management. She also improved her personal development skills, widened her networking opportunities and increased her knowledge of sector entry requirements.

Amy shared her experience:

What were your highlights of the scheme?

Meeting my career mentor in person was a highlight of the scheme; it gave an opportunity to continue conversations face-to-face which had only been conducted over email previously.

Being able to increase my confidence in formal communication on a professional level from emails and phone calls, to meeting in person has definitely been a highlight over the whole scheme for me.

Despite not being successful in obtaining a law vacation scheme, being able to submit multiple applications and cover letters to magic circle law firms and making it through the initial stages of application in some cases has been a huge achievement considering my complete lack of experience in the sector beforehand.

What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?

Being able to receive first hand insight into my chosen sectors (law and entrepreneurship) was immeasurably useful. It is so different to simply reading about that particular career, I am now able to fully appreciate both the pros and cons associated with the sector. It has helped me narrow down my career path moving forward.

Perhaps most useful, has been the transferable skills I have gained from the scheme. I now have fully functioning LinkedIn and RiseTo profiles as well as hugely improved CV. I am now able to conduct formal and professional emails, phone calls and face-to-face meetings – these skills have vastly increased my confidence and will be extremely useful in future professional settings.

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

The Career Mentor Scheme is the best extracurricular activity I have taken part in this year. It helps to start you on your career path well before graduation is even on the horizon and has provided me with numerous transferable and valuable skills which I can apply into everything from everyday situations to more formal interactions and interviews. It is an extremely rewarding way to spend your time and gives the opportunity to network and boost employability skills.