4 minute read
The matchmakers
792
THE MENTORING MATCH GOAL FOR NEXT YEAR
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2
MENTORING CYCLES NOW TAKE PLACE PER YEAR
10
YEARS SINCE THE SCHEME WAS LAUNCHED
With thousands of effective matches since its inception, our award-winning Career Mentoring Scheme continues to grow and develop each year. Behind its success lies the dedication and skill of the Mentoring Team: Anick, Ludo and Zurria. As experts in the field, they tell us what makes the perfect mentor.
With over 500 mentoring partnerships to facilitate each year, the Mentoring Team have their work cut out year-round. But the most critical stage of the mentoring cycle is the matching; connecting the right mentor with the right mentee so that they both gain as much from the relationship as possible.
“Mentors come in all shapes and sizes,” explains Ludo, Mentoring Officer (Mentors). “There isn’t one thing we look for because everyone contributes skills and qualities in different ways.
“There are some useful characteristics, such as empathy; being able to listen and understand your mentee’s perspective. But what is most important is being reflective and self-critical, and making sure that you are invested in the difference, is the amount of effort you’re willing to put in. For example, one of our mentees, a law student, was really struggling with his confidence. The mentor we matched him with worked in accounting and, at first, questioned why we’d matched them. But it was based on the fact that he’s a really confident person and great at bringing people out of their shell. He put in the effort to learn about the mentee’s subject and spoke to his colleagues working in that field, so he could support him. The mentee’s transformation was incredible!”
relationship in a mutually beneficial way. If you’re open to a true exchange as a mentor, you’ll get more out of it than going in thinking you’re the expert. It’s a journey for both of you.”
Zurria, Senior Mentoring Officer, agrees. “You don’t need to fit into any particular category,” she says. “Mentors often think they need to be a specific ‘type’ of person, and don’t realise how much value they can provide. So many are concerned that they’re unqualified or don’t have the correct skills, but mentoring is a learning process for both of you.”
What’s more, the Career Mentoring Scheme now offers CPD-accredited training to all mentors. As well as enhancing professional development, this training teaches volunteers the skills and understanding they need to approach the relationship and ensure it’s a success.
So, what does a successful match look like?
“Firstly, the ‘perfect match’ doesn’t exist,” explains Anick, Mentoring Administrator. “What makes all the high demand, the team have recently introduced a second mentoring cycle per year, doubling the chances of students being matched with a suitable mentor. The Scheme has also become progressively more flexible, encouraging online and phone meetings to ensure that international alumni can still have effective relationships with their mentees.
This is just one of thousands of success stories to come out of the Career Mentoring Scheme since its launch in 2010. Within a decade, the number of matches has gone from just 12 to over 500 each year, and over 1,000 mentors participating. Because of the
“International mentoring even has advantages over other mentoring relationships, such as a chance for mentees to learn what it’s like to live and work in another country,” explains Zurria. “We have mentors from more than 50 countries, and we engage with them just as much as those in London to make sure they feel part of the community.”
Beyond the professional development and the networking opportunities available to our mentors, what is considered the biggest benefit for most of them is how personally fulfilling it is to support our students. “Our University has such a unique demographic,” says Ludo. “Unlike other institutions, most of our students are working, commuting, first in their family to go to university or have to overcome countless other obstacles just to get to class. Mentoring at Westminster can make such a difference to these students’ prospects.
“It is such an easy and effective way to mobilise people and give our students access to conversations with professionals, which they otherwise wouldn’t have. Just one conversation can make so much difference. Education is a means of social mobility, and I think as a team, we do a really good job of contributing to that.”
“For me,” says Zurria, “it’s about the power of knowledge sharing. What I value the most in this role is seeing the big change in our mentees and knowing that we were instrumental in helping to empower them. And knowing that with that empowerment, they can pass on all they’ve learnt and help someone else.”
“Mentoring is more than just a fun matchmaking exercise,” agrees Anick. “By taking what a student wants to do for their future and connecting them with a dedicated mentor, we can really help them to achieve their dream.”
Thank you to all our mentors who are instrumental in helping our students and recent graduates reach their potential. If you would like to find out more about the Career Mentoring Scheme, visit westminster.ac.uk/become-a-mentor
Opposite: The Mentoring Team – Anick Soni, Ludo Siniscalchi Bernabo and Zurria Qureshi
ASK-A-MENTOR SERVICE
Would you enjoy mentoring a student, but don’t have much time?
We are looking for mentors who can support our students and recent graduates through our Ask-a-Mentor service.
This service gives students and recent graduates the chance to have a one-off conversation with an experienced professional in the area they hope to work in, and ask sector-specific questions regarding applications, interviews and their career ambitions.
This conversation can take place over the phone, through online platforms or simply by email.
