Career Mentoring

What is the Career Mentoring Programme?

The University of Aberdeen's Careers Service and Alumni Relations Office have established a Career Mentoring Programme which aims to match students with alumni (former Aberdeen students) who are willing to share their professional experience and expertise and support you in developing your own careers ideas.

A mentor will provide you with the benefit of their own experience in a particular profession or employment area. This will give you an insight into the knowledge and skills required to succeed in your chosen career.

	General Stream	Law Stream
Length of Programme	6 months	6 months
Who is eligible	All undergraduate and taught postgraduates (You must, however, be a registered student for the entire length of the mentoring period)	Undergraduate and taught postgraduate law students only (You must, however, be a registered student for the entire length of the mentoring period)
Applications Open	September 2013	September 2013
Applications Close	October 2013	October 2013

What are the benefits?

The Programme offers many employability benefits including opportunities to:

Learn about a particular profession or employment area
Talk to a professional in their work place
Gain an 'insider's guide' to job hunting and the application process
Develop professional networks and meet people
Increase knowledge and confidence

Who can apply?

Current University of Aberdeen undergraduate and taught postgraduate
students are welcome to apply*.

There are now two streams for the Mentoring Programme: one general stream for students of all degree subjects; and one specifically for law students. You can apply at any stage in your degree. You must, however, be a registered student for the entire length of the 6-month Programme.

What does the Programme involve?

The Programme involves matching students with a suitable mentor.

If matched on the Programme, you will have to:

Prepare fully for involvement in the Programme
Attend an introductory and a mid-Programme workshop
Commit to all types of contact, ie face-to-face (in person or via Skype/FaceTime) and via phone, email or virtually
Take the lead in arranging, keeping track of and recording any actions from your contact
Provide feedback to the Careers Service and/or Alumni Relations Office about the Programme

The Programme does not guarantee a work placement or future graduate employment.

The mentors are based in the UK, but not all will be in Aberdeen and contact with those mentors will be primarily via online facilities.

Neither mentors nor students are paid as part of the Career Mentoring Programme.

How often does the Programme run?

The Programme runs for a 6-month period between November and April.

How can I find out more?

There are two information sessions that take place on campus at the begininng of the Winter Term. All applicants are strongly advised to attend.

How do I apply?

For both the General Stream and the Law Stream, complete the relevant online application form and attach your CV. You can only apply to one Stream.

Applications have now closed for both the Law and General Stream.

How are the matches made?

Potential matches are made with a mentor based on the information you provide on your application form and CV. The mentors also provide information for the matching process.

You will be sent an email telling you if you have been matched or not.

Please note that mentoring opportunities are allocated on a competitive basis. In the event of there being more students than mentors, priority may be given to students who show that they have already begun to develop a career plan. Unsuccessful applicants may request for their details to be held on file and considered for a mentoring place in a subsequent academic year.

What do previous mentoring students say?

"If you want to gain practical insights into one of the business areas in which you are most interested…join the scheme, it is a brilliant experience!"
MSc Strategic Studies, Career Mentee

"This programme has acted as a window into the world of careers in marketing for me."
BSc (Hons) Physics, Career Mentee

"Being able to meet someone who has worked for many years in the career I wish to enter gave me a real insight into the profession, increasing my desire to go into that career."
MA (Hons) English & History, Career Mentee

"The mentoring scheme gave me the opportunity to pass on my own experience of the accountancy profession and to assist students with their chosen career path. The mentoring experience has shown me how tough today's job market actually is but armed with the correct job hunting skills and advice from mentors and careers services graduates can succeed in finding a suitable role."
MA Accountancy, Career Mentor

Case Studies

Antony Lademan
MA (Hons) History
Overall, I cannot be more positive about my mentoring experience. During my mentoring meetings I gained practical insight into Corporate Social Responsibility employment. My mentor was both friendly and welcoming, and incredibly generous with her time and help, and truly inspired me in my job hunt. I am still in regular contact with my mentor and I hope to keep in touch with her as my career begins and progresses. As a result of my mentoring experience I undertook a two-week work experience placement with BP in September, working under the Vice-President of North Sea Production. I think I am now a far more confident person, and feel more willing to engage in networking activity and speculative applications than previously. I hope to be able to pass on some of the experiences I gained through this by participating in the future as a mentor myself.

Daria Brovina
MSc (Econ) International Business, Energy and Petroleum
I decided to undertake the Career Mentoring Programme to gain a practical insight into the role of International Tax Manager. Overall, my feedback about the programme is very positive. It was a new and interesting experience with many benefits and new contacts. My mentor is an amazing person, both kind, incredibly friendly, and helpful. She always tried to do her best giving advice and even with my job hunt. She is very passionate about her job and this truly inspired me. However, I could also figure out throughout this time that that particular job was unlikely to become a part of my life and I am happy to have been able to figure it out. My mentor and I became very good friends. Moreover, this mentoring programme gave me the change to get to know better the oil & gas industry as an employer in Aberdeen and to practise my interview skills with my mentor before going 'live' in interviews.

* We are committed to ensuring that all opportunities are equally available and accessible to disabled students. The University’s Disability Advisers are available to provide advice to any disabled student and their mentor before and during the Career Mentoring Programme.