Overview

Working with a mentor can help you prepare for life after university studies by improving your job searching skills, building your knowledge of career options and how they align with your career goals, and helping you understand how your experiences relate to skills that employers look for. Through your mentoring partnership and the programme, you can also expand your professional network and build valuable networking skills.      
  

ELIGIBILITY

This free programme is open to all final-year students enrolled in a degree or postgraduate qualification at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington who want to take a proactive approach to their career development and transition from university into employment.      
     
 Students must:      
  • be in their final year of undergraduate or post-graduate studies at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
  • not have previously participated in Alumni as Mentors
  • complete one 60 minute mentee training session before being accepted onto the programme (see training dates here)

Application Dates and Connection process

Apply and complete training 24 February - 9 March    
Applications open: 24 February - 9 March    
Training sessions: 24 February - 10 March (find all available mentee training sessions here).     
    
Connect with a mentor (24 Feb - 19 March)    
  • Request a mentor yourself by 12 March, or 
  • Let the programme team match you with a mentor after 12 March.
Mentor profiles will only be visible to students 24 Feb - 12 March.
Students who haven’t requested a mentor by 12 March, or if the mentor declined their request, will be included in the administrator matching process and may be matched with a mentor by the programme team by 19 March.  
 
The team will connect pairs based on the overlap in academic background, career aspirations, mentoring preferences, and other information provided in the applications. While we cannot guarantee a mentoring match for everyone who applies to join the programme, we do our best to set up as many quality mentoring partnerships as we can.    
    
If you are matched with a mentor, attend the launch event 25 March, 7pm. 
     

The mentors

Mentors are alumni of the university and range from recent graduates who can share their experiences of the graduate job market to more experience alumni who can share a wealth of information from years in the workplace. Mentors work and live across New Zealand and internationally and represent a wide range of industries.     


 For more information on what to expect as a mentee, see the Mentee Guide. 

Application and training dates              

Student applications are currently closed.

Submit an expression of interest to be part of the programme in trimester 2.
 

Express interest

 Students must participate in one 60-minute training session before their application is accepted. 
            

"It is so helpful to have a supportive mentor that guides you and is available for a chat when you need to talk things through. As a busy student, I appreciated the reassurance that I received from my mentor." - previous AAM mentee

Mentee training

The one-hour mentee training sessions are designed to help mentees succeed in the mentoring partnerships and how to get the best out of programme. In the session, we will discuss how to find the right mentor within the programme, how to be an effective mentee, and share tips on how to build a strong relationship with your mentor. We will also discuss setting clear goals, prioritising what's important to you, to ensure your partnership remains mentee-led. 

Careers and Employment support

The Wellington Careers and Employment team are here to support you and the mentors to make the most of the partnerships. In addition to specific support for your mentoring partnership, you are encouraged to participate in workshops, employer presentations, expos, and leadership programmes organised by our team, to complement the topics discussed in your partnership.

Your profile information

Each application is checked against our student and alumni records, to ensure the platform provides a dedicated space for our student and alumni community.     
Parts of your mentee profile will be shared with the mentors you request to connect with, as this information helps them determine whether they are the right mentor for your needs. Some of the profile information you provide (e.g. your date of birth) will only be visible to administrators.

further information

If you meet the criteria to participate in the programme you can contact alumniasmentors@vuw.ac.nz for more information.