Finding the right mentor

While students with a family history of higher education often have a built-in support system, those without can feel lost and overwhelmed. This is where having a mentor can bridge the gap, offering guidance and support through your academic journey 

What is career mentoring?

Career mentoring involves a one-on-one developmental relationship with someone who has successfully navigated the transition from university to work. Mentors can assist mentees in developing essential employability skills and building their career identity. 

By gaining a deeper understanding of themselves and viewing their experiences in relation to how others have overcome similar challenges, individuals can clarify the impact they aspire to have on the world. This process often involves sharing their career stories, which are often shaped through conversations with family, peers, careers advisers, and mentors.

What can a mentor do for me?

Mentoring outcomes are split into two main categories: 

• psychosocial development involves learning and development related to how you think and feel, including self-belief 
• career development includes making tangible gains such as increased knowledge about work and job roles, work experience, shadowing, and insights into the mentor's experiences and projects. 

Mentoring can provide valuable insights into a broader range of job roles, going beyond just learning about them to gaining specific, contextualised information, and even trying them out.  

Studies suggest that students unfamiliar with university or professional jobs benefit greatly from mentoring. For instance, a study on Career Mentoring in Higher Education: Exploring Mentoring and Employability Gains Across Different Social Groups (Lyden, 2021) revealed how it helps students gain a stronger sense of self-belief, understand professional work, practice their interview skills through mock interviews, and receive valuable reassurance. 

Mentoring also enables you to get a clearer picture about your chosen career path, which is essential once you've completed your studies. This demonstrates a strong commitment to potential employers.

Search graduate jobs or explore our 7 ways to improve graduate employability. 

Who should be my mentor?

Having decided to find a mentor, the next step is selecting the right one. Research suggests that opting for someone like yourself can be effective. This similarity might be based on: 

• nationality 
• gender orientation 
• race 
• age 
• job role 
• communication style 
• other personal characteristics.  

See our tips on navigating diversity and neurodiversity in the workplace. 

However, it's important not to limit yourself to just demographic data - consider unique and quirky shared experiences as well. Finding someone similar to compare yourself to is crucial in constructing your career identity. This can also promote understanding and empathy, which are key to effective communication. If you choose someone very different, it might lead to self-doubt regarding your career interests. 

Furthermore, it's essential to choose a mentor who is a good listener, offers support, and can provide valuable advice and guidance regarding your career development. Sometimes, more experienced employees are better at helping you access the opportunities you're looking for. It's crucial to strike a balance - find someone relatable, in an intriguing job role or sector, who you're likely to get along with and who can offer valuable learning experiences. 

How do I find a mentor?

• Formal schemes - Most universities offer career mentoring schemes, often run by academic departments or career and employability services. Some schemes target specific student groups.  
• Personal networks - Consider careers advisers, recruiters, lecturers, family, friends, part-time job or volunteer supervisors, and course peers. Creating a mind map, can help identify potential contacts who might connect you to a suitable mentor. Remember that you don't often know the full networks of your contacts, so ask them who they know and don't assume they need to be in the job role you seek.  
• University alumni and recruiters - Reach out to alumni working in interesting organisations. LinkedIn can help you search for alumni affiliated with your university. Take a look at how to improve your LinkedIn profile for guidance. The alumni department may also suggest potential mentors. Job listings on career websites might include recruiters who can assist you. 

How can I build a successful mentor relationship?

Securing a mentor involves clear and open communication about the support needed. Consider the following: 

• Meeting arrangements - Will you meet online or in person? Ensure personal safety by meeting in public spaces and informing a friend beforehand. 
• Duration and frequency - How long and how often will these meetings be? 
• Self-introduction - Prepare an 'elevator pitch' - five brief points about yourself to share with the mentor so they can get to know you. Prepare questions for them too such as 'can you share your career journey with me?' 
• Formality - Start with formal communication, relaxing it as the relationship develops. 
• Keep reflecting - If you hide your thoughts and feelings, the relationship may struggle. Spend some time thinking about your discussions and your thoughts and feelings about them and endeavour to share more if you feel able to. Always be polite. 

It's natural to feel nervous, but being prepared and organised can make a big difference. Feeling anxious shows that you want to make a good impression, which is a positive thing, and even mentors can experience nervousness.  

It's helpful to prepare information about yourself, think of questions to ask, and find common ground with the mentor, as it builds trust and openness. It's also beneficial to understand the mentor's motivation. They might be looking to hire you or want to give back by helping someone navigate a challenging transition they once faced. This shows their interest and caring nature, so it's important to let them support you. 

Find out more

• Get some tips on choosing a career. 
• Learn more about how to find a job. 
• Read the Prospects blog to stay up-to-date on news, insights and opinions.