The Professional Mentoring scheme is a six-month programme that pairs students with industry professionals in order to develop their skills, confidence and future employability.

If you are concerned about your career and unsure about your next steps, this is a great opportunity for you.

The mentee applications are now live. The deadline is Sunday, January 21st, 2024, 23:59.

Apply now to join the Professional Mentorship scheme

Professional Mentoring

This programme is designed to assist students who:

are the first generation in their family to attend university
consider themselves to be disabled
have spent time in Local Authority care
are embarking on a new career path through postgraduate study
have had less experience with the workforce and would like to know how to make the most of the skills and knowledge gained through their studies
are at a crossroads, lacking confidence, or are unsure how to kick-start their intended career.

Why join the Professional Mentoring scheme at City?

You will be provided an excellent opportunity to develop your confidence, employability skills and professional network
You will receive one-to-one support and guidance on your CV and your career plans.
You will gain insight into your related field as well as the industry recruitment process and labour market.
You will be given a pathway to become a highly employable graduate.

Our mentors

Our professional mentors come from a variety of professional backgrounds and have developed comprehensive knowledge and expertise within their field.

73% of our mentors are alumni of City.
Over 20 of our mentees have recently re-joined the scheme as mentors.
All of our mentors have a specific drive to develop students just starting out on their career journey.

How to apply

Please read the information carefully to understand the nature of the scheme and the commitment required before you apply.
This is a competitive scheme based on need, so please answer questions as clearly as possible. Your answer will help us in assessing whether this is the right opportunity for you.
We will also ask you to upload a jpeg file of yourself (passport photo style) before you submit your application form. Photographs are used by the Professional Mentoring Team as a method of identifying mentee candidates throughout the selection process.
You will receive a confirmation email after you submit your application. All further communication, including confirmation that you have been shortlisted for interview, will take place via email.
If you are shortlisted you will be invited to a 15-minute interview. You must be able to attend an interview and one training session.
If you are shortlisted you will need to log in to CareersHub to select an interview timeslot (offered on a first-come, first-served basis). This will confirm your attendance. More information on the interview booking procedure is provided on the application form. You will need to keep track of this appointment through CareersHub as there will be no further reminders.
Only successful candidates will be contacted and invited to interview. It is important to understand that this programme is designed to assist those with clearly identifiable development needs.
Successful candidates must attend an evening training session and the Introduction Evening where you will meet your mentor for the first time.

Expectations of mentees

As a mentee on this programme you are a representative of City. This is a professional relationship. You are expected to conduct your relationship in a professional manner and in a style befitting your membership of City as a collegiate community.
This is not a work placement or internship scheme but a development opportunity.
You are expected to display a proactive approach to your relationship with your mentor, with a commitment of at least 12 hours of quality contact time with your mentor during the scheme.
The Professional Mentoring team reserves the right to remove students from the process - at any point - if it is assessed that selected participants are not abiding by the etiquette of the scheme and the code of conduct.

Further information

The scheme enables mentors to pass on employability skills, knowledge, and experience and we try to allocate you a mentor from your specific field of study/interest however this cannot always be guaranteed.
The scheme is aimed at students who don't get professional insight into industry as part of their course (e.g. courses that offer work placements as part of the qualification).
If you have been accepted on to our undergraduate stream unfortunately we cannot consider your application for participation in this postgraduate stream. However, if you were not successful in gaining a place on our undergraduate stream and you are now a postgraduate studying at City, you are welcome to apply.
Unfortunately, due to limited time and resources we are unable to provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates.
If you have any concerns about this process please see our complaints policy for how to address this.
Please contact us at professionalmentoring@city.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Professional Mentoring