Would you like to mentor a current NTU student?
1 October 2013
In 2012 the University launched a one-to-one mentoring scheme which matches current students with alumni volunteer mentors.The Employability Mentoring Programme is specifically aimed at improving the employability of second and final year students by tapping into the knowledge and expertise of former students working within their areas of interest.
Former Psychology student Dezrika Ramsey was mentored by alumnus and BAFTA winning BBC Panorama reporter Paul Kenyon (BA Hons Social Sciences 1987). Dezrika and Paul communicated by telephone and email, and Paul even arranged for Dezrika to visit him at the BBC in London. Dezrika said: “I enjoyed seeing behind the scenes of a variety of BBC programmes. It was the first time I had travelled on my own to meet someone I had never met before, so it really helped my confidence.”
Dezrika found having Paul as her mentor a great experience: “At first it I didn’t know what to expect but I was excited by the prospect. Paul has a variety of expertise and experience and he genuinely wanted to support me and listen to my aims. Paul was enthusiastic and open to the role of being a mentor so it made the relationship easy.”
Paul’s advice has helped Dezrika to clearly define her goals and ambitions in terms of what is out there in the working world: “Paul provided me with an insight in to what employers look for and what I can do to make myself a more appealing candidate. He also gave me guidance as to where to look in terms of my career.”
Dezrika encourages more alumni to volunteer as mentors. She said: “If you feel that you would have benefitted from having a mentor when you were a student, then you could be a great mentor. Hearing from someone that has already been in your shoes is so useful.”
Would you like to volunteer to mentor a current student? Please contact us at alumni@ntu.ac.uk.