University of Westminster mentoring schemes

1. Benefits of Mentoring
Louise Bamford
Stephen Cole
Hanna Gnanaseharam
Career Development Centre
www.westminster.ac.uk/careers

2. Objectives
This session will help you to:
• Understand the benefits of mentoring
• Learn about mentoring opportunities
• How to make the most of mentoring

3. Speed interviewing
exercise – What do you
think mentoring is?
Speak to 4 people to ask
them what they think
mentoring is – 5 mins

4. What is mentoring?
• A long term relationship that meets a
developmental need.
• To help and support people to
manage their own learning in order to
maximise their potential, develop their
skills, improve their performance and
become the person they want to be.
(Parsloe, 1992)

5. Famous mentees
• OPRAH WINFREY mentored by Mrs. Duncan (4th grade
teacher)
• GEN. COLIN POWELL mentored by his father Luther
Powell
• DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING mentored by Dr. Benjamin
E. Mays
• LUKE SKYWALKER mentored by Obi-Wan Ben Kenobi
(Star Wars)

6. Famous mentees
• SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON mentored by Rev. Donald
James
• QUINCY JONES mentored by Ray Charles
• MARTIN SHEEN mentored by Rev. Alfred Drapp
• DENZEL WASHINGTON mentored by Sidney Poitier
• HARRY POTTER mentored by Professor Dumbledore
• ROSA PARKS mentored by Alice L. White (headmistress)
• LARRY KING mentored by Edward Bennett Williams

7. What Mentoring Is Not!!
• A job offer
• One way relationship
• Just about securing new contacts
• Always an easy relationship
• Just about getting work experience

8. Some mentoring quotes
• We make a living by what we get, we make a life
by what we give. (Winston Churchill)
• A lot of people have gone further than they
thought they could because someone else
thought they could. (Zig Ziglar)
• I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but people will
never forget how you made them feel. (Maya
Angelou)

9. What do others think?
From the get mentoring organisation:
http://getmentoring.org/introduction-to-
enterprise-mentoring-online-learning/ask-a-
mentor/

10. Mentoring can support:
• Personal development
• Professional development
• Academic development
• Confidence building

11. Benefits of Mentoring
• Communication, networking, inter-personal skills
• Exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking
• Career information, advice, guidance and coaching
• Professional industry knowledge and culture (in UK)
• Impartial advice and feedback
• Increases your confidence

12. CDC Mentoring Scheme
• University-wide scheme for all students
regardless of academic discipline and year
of study
• Nov – May
• One mentee to One mentor (usually)
• Meet for 1-2 hours at least once per month,
normally at mentor’s place of work
• Contact also via email, skype and telephone

13. Examples of mentors
• Dentons LLP; PHP Architects, Kier Group;
• Heineken; Ernst & Young;
• BBC; PriceWaterhouseCoopers;
• Barclays Bank; Daiwa Capital Markets;
• Stevens & Bolton LLP; Accenture;
• BPL; Australia New Zealand Bank;
• HMRC; Al-Jazeera (UK); BSI
• Atos; Hodge Jones & Allen; OEG (USA)
• Black & Veatch Corporation (China)

14. Type of support provided
• Confidence building;
• Interview coaching;
• Work experience;
• CV and applications advice;
• Access to Mentor’s network;
• Sector insight; and
• Invitation to Barclays Bank’s annual
Christmas ball

15. 2013/14 Mentee
“I am finding out very interesting things
about my profession, things which in the
academic environment are usually kept
secret. I feel I am improving, both on the
personal plan and professional
development. I am starting to gain a general
understanding about the 'jump' I will have to
make once I will finish my academic
studies, thanks to my wonderful mentor”.

16. 2013/14 Mentee
"My mentor gave me the confidence to use
my own abilities with proper focus and
introduced various useful venues and skills
which guided and nourished my planning
for career development. A truly enriching
experience”
PhD Candidate

17. Mentor
"Mentoring, formally and informally is one the most
significant ways in which we flourish - and often fast track
our progress – personally and professionally. Westminster
University have put in a lot of time and attention to
developing a programme which gives students a real
opportunity to boost their clarity, confidence and to gain
access to the kind of mentoring that will help stand them in
good stead as they move forward in their lives and careers.
As a coach, mentor and speaker I'm pleased to help play
my little part in helping some of our emerging talent as they
progress in their lives and work."

18. National Mentoring Consortium
• National scheme for Home / EU Black, Asian,
Minority Ethnic students
• Nov – May
• One-to-one in-person meetings
• Meet for 1 – 2 hours once or twice a month, often at
mentor’s workplace
• Also encouraged to keep in touch with mentor by email,
telephone or Skype

19. Last year’s mentors
• HM Treasury
• BT
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Metropolitan Police
• Barclays
• HM Revenue & Customs
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Department for Transport

20. Typical activities & support
• Work shadowing / office visits
• Training events
• Job search, application advice and
interview practice
• Coaching in professional etiquette
• Workload planning / priority setting

21. NMC Mentor and Mentee of the Year
.…has been an outstanding mentor, helping her mentee to
develop her self-confidence and networking skills through a
variety of training and work experience opportunities,
always with a high level of encouragement, support and
structured reflection.
….has embraced all aspects of the NMC scheme, working
closely with her mentor to develop a stretching plan of what
she wanted to achieve and persevering to reach her
goals. She has developed strong, collaborative
relationships with both her mentor and other mentees,
often proactively seeking out ways to support them along
the way.

22. PG/MBA International Mentoring
Programme
• Non-EU Full-Time Postgraduates/MBAs in their 1st semester
• 3 months long: January – March or April – June
• 1 meeting per month
• Each meeting is approximately 1 hour long
• 1-to-1 in-person meetings between mentee and mentor
• Students are encouraged to try to keep in touch with their mentor
over email and telephone (and Skype).

23. Aims: PG/MBA International
Mentoring Programme
1. To help provide international Postgraduate/MBA students with an
insight into the British working context and the issues
surrounding graduate employment, through in-depth discussions
with their mentor.
2. To offer an opportunity for experienced professionals to share
their career experiences and knowledge with Postgraduate/MBA
students who may wish to venture down a similar career in the
future or to move up the corporate ladder.
3. To help provide students with the opportunity to critically analyse
their strengths and weaknesses and reflect on the learning they
have achieved from undertaking the mentoring through active and
reflective learning.

24. Preparation ….
• Quick Query CV Appointments: all students are
expected to take the time to update their CV and to attend an
appointment with a Careers Consultant at the Career Development
Centre.

25. Matching Process
• It’s important to ensure that there is a clear match between the
mentor & the mentee
• Common Criteria: employment history, hobbies, beliefs or
nationality
• Successful mentor-mentee match?
• “If I said that I won the mentor's lottery, it's not an exaggeration”
(Hend AbdelHalim, Autumn 2013 mentee).

26. Mentor’s Qualities
HR Business Partner, 10yrs experience
“ She's well experienced, welcoming, patient, helpful, approachable
and resourceful. She positively supported me, and had a serious
impact on my future career goals as well as her advice towards the
change of my dissertation topic” (Hend AbdelHalim, MA Human
Resource Management, Autumn 2013 mentee).

27. Mentoring Topics – plan!
• Link to your University modules and
dissertation topic
• Enquire about the graduate labour market and
interviews– realistic and unbiased perspective
• Create a career plan and job search strategy

28. How bad can a mentoring
session go?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZo6GYBdirs

29. Student view on Mentoring
https://sites.google.com/a/my.westminster.ac.uk/wbs-
oer/study-skills/pg-mentoring

30. • FLUID Diversity Mentoring Programme – for groups
under represented in the built environment sector
• John Schofield Trust Mentoring Scheme – for young
journalists
• MentorSET – for Women in STEM
• Shell-livewire – online support for young entrepreneurs
• Laamiga Women’s Mentoring and Training – for migrant
and refugee women
• Professional bodies
And don’t forget….
• Existing colleagues, family and friends
Example external organisations

31. Using mentors you already have
From Lion King:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7PlTaawfQ
From Karate Kid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N-R9fVkG6I

32. The Perfect Mentor or Mentee
• Brainstorm in groups the characteristics of a ‘perfect’
mentee/mentor and illustrate these on the flipchart
paper.
• For example, a mentor/mentee may have big ears
because they are a good listener.

33. Thinking beyond the job title
…and place of work!
How might you benefit from having the
following as mentors:
•Business coach?
•Marketing Officer?
•Magazine Editor?

34. Lone Working
• As you will have unaccompanied 1-to-1 meetings with
your mentor, both of you mentor will be classed as LONE
WORKERS.
• It is important for you take the necessary safety
precautions in order to minimize any risks or hazards
occurring.
• Meet your mentor in a ‘low-risk’ environment: mentor’s
workplace, coffee shop, library or University.
• Do not meet your mentor at your / their home (‘high-risk’
environment).

35. Confidentiality
• It is important to remember that conversations (and any
other forms of communication, including emails)
between you and your mentor are based on trust and
should be considered as confidential.
• Confidential information may include:
- Contact information
- Professional information
- Personal Information
• Do not breach your mentor’s confidentiality … TRUST!!
• Discuss the importance of confidentiality and the
terms of this with your mentor.

36. Commitment
• Ambassador for the University
• Mentoring is a two way process
• You get out what you put in
• Expected to be organised, professional,
reliable and punctual

37. Golden Rules For Getting Ahead
• Know yourself
• Set your goals
• Focus on results
• Update your skills
• Make your voice heard

38. More Golden Rules
• Take responsibility
• Be committed and flexible
• Develop useful contacts
• Take risks
• Behave like a winner

39. How does mentoring work?
• Review your own development needs
• Develop a learning contract with your
mentor
• Key objectives for each meeting
• Reflective learning log

40. Mentoring Planning
• Respect your mentor’s time and other
priorities
• Plan around your (& their) busy times
• Set SMART goals (specific, measurable,
achievable, relevant, time bound)

41. What do you
want to achieve
from mentoring?

42. Your action plan
• What are you aiming for?
(Your career goals)
• What is your current situation?
(What skills / knowledge / experience do
you have and where are the gaps?)
• How could a mentor help address these
gaps?

43. Finding out more…..
Career Development Centre / NMC
http://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/current-students/support-and-
facilities/career-development-centre/mentoring
BET PG/MBA International Mentoring
Programme
http://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/faculties/business/courses/business-
experience-team

44. Evaluation
….How was it for you?

45. Career Development Centre
Services
1-to-1
Guidance
E-Advice
Vacancies
& Events
Information
Resources
Volunteering
Employer
Events
Talent Bank
Associates
In Schools
Mentoring

46. Follow us on:
facebook.com/uowcareers
twitter.com/uw_careers
blog.westminster.ac.uk/careers

47. Slides are available
www.slideshare.net/cdcwestminster

48. Contact us
Harrow
Harrow Campus
Room EG.16
Maria Hewlett Building
Nearest tube: Northwick Park
Central London
Cavendish House
1st Floor
101 New Cavendish Street
Nearest tube: Warren St/
Goodge St/Gt Portland St
Tel: 020 7911 5184
E-mail: careers@wmin.ac.uk
www.westminster.ac.uk/careers

49. In summary
• Mentoring can address a variety of
developmental needs at any stage of your
career
• Mentors can help from a range of
backgrounds and experience (not necessarily
sector specific)
• Requires careful planning, evaluation and
reflection
• Only works with trust, confidentiality,
commitment and professionalism