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The University of Southampton
Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise

Career Mentoring Programme

Learn from the experts and get industry insight from a mentor.

Applications for the Career Mentoring Programme 2023/24 have now closed.

See the ‘Apply now’ tab for more information on when applications will be open for next year.

Taking part in the Career Mentoring Programme has many benefits. These include:

Participants from our Career Mentoring Programme 2022/23, talk about their experiences in the short video below.

Within the Career Mentoring Programme, we offer the option of two specific opportunities to receive support which may suit your needs:

More students should take part in this programme. It's not about getting a job, but really about knowing more about one's potential and creating a plan to develop it.

Applications open in September for the beginning of the academic year. All applications to the Career Mentoring Programme close in January for that academic year.

We run training for both mentees and mentors to ensure that you are well prepared for the mentoring relationship. As soon as our individual mentors and mentees have received training, we can start matching you together.

Once you are matched you can arrange to start working with your mentor. This typically lasts one academic year, however some mentors and mentees choose to continue for a second year. The number of times you meet is determined between you and your mentor once you start, however we would recommend you have contact at least four times throughout the academic year, of which a minimum of two contacts should be either face-to-face or video calls. 

Our dedicated Career Mentoring Team will support you through the training, matching process and the mentoring relationship.

To find out more about what is involved in participating in the Career Mentoring Programme, including frequently asked questions, read our Mentee Handbook

Within the Career Mentoring Programme, we also offer two additional pathways:

Enterprise Mentoring

Are you looking to set up your own business or develop entrepreneurial skills? You can request to be matched with an Enterprise Mentor who will be able to provide specialist advice around self-employment and enterprise.

Diversity Mentoring

Would you like a mentor who has personal experience from one or more of the following groups?

  • Ethnic Minority Groups
  • Care Leaver
  • Disability
  • First person in family to go to University
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans (LGBTQIA+)
  • Women

We can offer the opportunity for tailored mentoring with one of our Diversity Mentors.

The Career Mentoring Programme is open to undergraduates, postgraduates and recent graduates - up to a year after graduation.

1. Online application form:

Applications for the academic year 2023/24 are now closed. The applications will open in September for the next academic year (2024/25) and will close again at the end of January 2025.

Matching runs from October to February, with training for mentees and mentors also taking place from October to February.

2. Attend a training session:

We think it is important that both mentors and mentees attend training sessions. It acts as an introduction to our Programme and is a good opportunity for you to meet the Career Mentoring Team and other mentees. During the session we will also provide you with the information and some of the resources that will help you during your mentoring relationship.

3. Mentee training dates and times:

Training sessions are held on multiple dates from October through to February on Highfield Campus and online.

We recommend that you attend a training session as soon as possible in order to have the best chance of being matched with a mentor from your chosen field.

Once applications open again, further details regarding training will be sent to all students who apply.

 

 

 

If you would like to find out more about mentoring, please contact us:

Email: mentoring@southampton.ac.uk

Mentoring Coordinator: Laura Smith

 

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