Each academic year, students have the chance to be matched with experienced professionals from a variety of sectors, becoming their mentor.
Date: 20 November 2018
Last Wednesday, 14 November, London Metropolitan University held it’s first of several ‘Meet the Mentor’ evenings for the academic year, an event offering students the opportunity to be paired with experienced professionals across a variety of sectors, enhancing their knowledge of the career path they are working towards.
The partnership between mentor and mentee is based on sharing information, knowledge and experiences to support learning and career growth. By the end of the programme, students will inherit a greater understanding of the roles available, increase their confidence and extend their professional network.
The mentors volunteer their time and work in a range of subject disciplines, from copyright and financial crimes, all the way to creative branding and set design. Each mentor has at least three year’s professional experience in their sector. The scheme runs for approximately five months and it is expected that mentors and students will have a minimum of five meetings in that time.
Lola Bejide, Managing Director at Soluman Consultancy, was a mentor last year and has volunteered again this year. Lola had this to say on the experience;
“The mentoring programme is operated via a robust and supportive system. Mentors are able to attend briefing sessions on what to expect, how to get the best out of the programme and how best to support their respective mentees. This is particularly useful for those who have never mentored previously, and also for those who have to share their experiences.
“I have over 20 years of corporate experience and, whilst I use this to further my business, I absolutely cherish the fact that I can also use it to support soon-to-be graduates’ transition with confidence from academia to the working world.”
Lola's mentee was Tia Park-Faleye, a BA Business Economics student;
“I feel my biggest achievement from the programme was the increased self-confidence my mentor gave me, constantly encouraging me and helping me grow. I was so happy I chose her to be my mentor; I don’t think I would have achieved as much as I have already, with employment opportunities and my own personal goals, without her guidance and advice.”
If you are interested in volunteering to act as a mentor for an undergraduate or postgraduate student for the next academic year, please go here to apply.
