Sheffield Hallam Career Mentoring Scheme

15th June 2017

For today's students and graduates, making the transition from education to employment can be challenging.

Having a mentor to advise and encourage can help to develop critical thinking and broaden professional networks - ultimately opening up doors to advance their careers. Of course, the benefits of mentoring are not only limited to the mentee. Successful mentoring relationships result in both parties walking away from the experience having gained something invaluable, whether professional insight or a lifelong friendship — or in some cases, both. At Sheffield Hallam University, we have developed a mentoring scheme over the past 12 years which matches our students with people in industry to help them develop professional skills, insights into different industries and to build their own network. It is an excellent way for students to grow, particularly for those with barriers to entering the world of work. It is also a great opportunity for our mentors to develop their own skills, build relationships with universities and feel the pride and satisfaction of supporting the students that need it the most. Meet Charles and Ben After Ben was let down on a placement year, he lost his confidence and felt he lacked experience in the industry he wanted to go into. He applied for the Career Mentoring Scheme and was matched with Charles from Storth Lane Consultants. After working with each other from November to April this year, Ben nominated Charles for the Outstanding Mentor Award for his excellent work in supporting Ben's development: "My mentor could not have been betterCharles provided me with so much advice and information on the career path I wished to follow. Charles is always really responsive and after many meetings I knew exactly what type of field, industry and business I wanted to work in. Furthermore, he invited me to an exclusive networking event in which I gained confidence and met some useful contacts. If all that wasn't enough, Charles recommended me for the job that matched all my requirements; with his help, I managed to secure this job and have already started working there part-time. Charles has always made himself extremely approachable and has also advised me on things that are not academic as a result he is now as much of a friend as he is a mentor." Think you can make a difference to a student's career development? Then we would love to hear from you. The Sheffield Hallam Mentoring Scheme is growing and we are looking for mentors from a variety of backgrounds, industries and roles. Recent graduates, experienced staff members, established entrepreneurs are all welcome; you all have useful knowledge and insights that students can learn from. This year's scheme starts in September and all it takes is a minimum of four one hour meetings between November and April with your Mentee. If you think you would like an opportunity to develop your own skills and inspire and support students with their development, head to our website to sign up: https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/shucareermentoring/ or get in touch with me, Louise Harrison, for a chat: careermentoring@shu.ac.uk or 0114 225 3752.