A student guide to mentoring at the University of East London

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a formalised process based on a developmental relationship between two persons in which one person is more experienced (mentor) than the other (mentee).

In line with best-practice guidelines, mentoring at UEL is a supportive learning experience with the primary aim to offer career and industry insights to support you on your journey from being a student to finding meaningful employment post-graduation.

All our mentors are industry experts with a minimum of two years of professional work experience. While this does create a hierarchical dynamic in the mentoring relationship, we recognise that mentoring is a two-way street, in which the mentor can learn from the mentee and vice-versa, fostering a shared sense of accountability.

Viewing mentoring as a reciprocal learning experience can support you in developing your confidence and career readiness.

Mentoring is not a counselling relationship, nor is it designed to support academic work.

Why is it important?

In short: Mentoring is an avenue to

  • Career development and guidance
  • Building confidence
  • Gaining practical skills

Students, particularly in their first year of study, seek advice on improving their personal and professional skills, understanding industry demands, and making informed career decisions.

Are you looking to boost your self-esteem and develop the interpersonal skills necessary for professional and personal growth?

Well, you’re not alone:

Many first-year students express the need to build confidence, especially in areas like communication, presentation, and networking. If this resonates with you, we strongly encourage you to participate in mentoring!  

Level 4 - what's on offer?

Being a first-year student can be overwhelming at times. Therefore, we offer many different entry points to mentoring throughout your time at UEL.

In your first year of study (Level 4):

Introduction to Mentoring: A member of the Mentoring Team will visit one of your Mental Wealth Modules during your first year of study. You’ll get the opportunity to learn more about Mentoring at UEL and be introduced to some of our mentors.

Access to our offers and events on Career Zone: 

During each academic year, we offer various mentoring events which we invite you to engage in. Login to Career Zone search our Events page for:

  • Meet the Mentoring team
  • Evening with the Expert
  • Mentoring online panels 

Level 5 and 6 - what's on offer?

In your second and third year of study (Level 5 & Level 6): 

Once you have completed the first year of studies, you will be eligible to participate in our Professional Mentoring Programme.

The Professional Mentoring Programme is an 8-week mentoring programme matching students with experienced professionals within industry. You will have the opportunity to enhance your employability skills, boost your confidence and gain valuable industry insights. 

Professional mentoring takes place once every academic term and spans over an 8-week period. During this period, students must commit to a minimum of 3 hours of Mentoring.

Additionally, you will still have access to our offers and events on Career Zone. Login to Career Zone and search our Events page for:

  • Meet the Mentoring team
  • Evening with the Expert
  • Mentoring online panels 

How can you prepare for mentoring

Regardless of when and how you engage with a mentor, whether that is as part of an event, a panel discussion or a 1-2-1 meeting we ask you to:

Demonstrate curiosity and be engaged

Make sure to ask questions and learn from the mentor.

  • What challenges did they need to overcome to get where they are today?
  • What are the most important skills needed in the given industry?

Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses

  • What are you good at already?
  • What skills would you like to develop in the future?

Act

  • What steps can you take to make a change in your career progression?
  • Do you need to revamp your CV?
  • Do you want to create or update your LinkedIn profile?
  • Can you sign up for a relevant networking opportunity, e.g., a conference, online talk
  • Can you listen to a podcast or even create your own podcast/event/activity? 

How to source your own mentor

In addition to our mentoring offers at UEL, eligible students can get access to one hour of mentoring with an industry expert through the 1 Hour project!

The 1 Hour Project is a not-for-profit organisation. Their aim is to support students, who are first in their family to go to university (excluding siblings) and are from low-income backgrounds, by matching them with an industry expert for one hour of mentoring.

If you are interested, go to 1 Hour Project and register your interest. You can also watch their instructional video here: 1 hour project explainer video

Any questions?

Should you have any follow up questions, please visit our SharePoint page: Get involved with Mentoring or attend one of our Meet the Mentoring team sessions which you can find on Career Zone.