Career information interviewing and mentoring service
Deakin's career information interviewing and mentoring program is an online resource designed to facilitate contact between Alumni members and current students, to help students in their career development.
- Eligibility
- What is Career Information Interviewing?
- What is Mentoring?
- What are the benefits of being mentored?
- What can't I expect from a career information interview or mentor program?
- Next steps
- Search for a Deakin alumni member
- Want to know more?
Eligibility
The aim of this service is to assist penultimate (second to last year) and final year students to make informed and successful career choices. Therefore eligibility is open to:
- Penultimate and final year undergraduate students with sixteen or less units remaining of their studies.
- All postgraduate students.
Deakin's career information interviewing and mentoring program is an online resource designed to facilitate contact between Alumni members and current students, to help students in their career development.
What is career information interviewing?
Career information interviewing provides the opportunity for a Deakin student (the interviewer) to connect with a Deakin alumni member (the interviewee) to ask questions in order to gain a deeper understanding of a particular job role or career path. It is a brief contact in the form of an interview rather than a longer term relationship and the more in-depth knowledge gained from mentoring.
What is mentoring?
Put simply, mentoring is a one-on-one relationship between a Deakin alumni member who is an experienced professional (the MENTOR) and a Deakin student who is less experienced (the MENTEE). Mentoring provides an opportunity for in-depth career development, skills development and self-development.
Career mentoring is one of the most successful ways of helping students link to industry, develop career management skills and prepare for the transition out of university and into the workplace.
While the Deakin Career Mentoring program is mostly focused on career related advice, the most effective relationships occur when rapport is built and both parties enter a stage of familiarity and trust based on mutual respect, encouragement, constructive feedback, openness and willingness to learn and share.
| Career information interviewing | Mentoring | |
| Purpose | To gain specific career insights | To assist in career decision making and transition to the workplace |
| Duration | Usually one contact | Series of contacts |
| Process | Student interviews Deakin Alumni member | Mutually agreed goals and actions |
| Method | Done over the phone or face to face | Done via phone, email and face to face |
| Terminology | Alumni = interviewee, Student = interviewer | Alumni = mentor, Student = mentee |
What are the benefits of being mentored?
There are many benefits to having a mentor including:- Developing practical skills and confidence to enter your chosen profession
- Building personal and professional networks
- Increasing your understanding of the industry and gaining exposure to current professional practices and trends
- Being able to link academic study to industry realities
- Broadening your knowledge of the career options open to you
- Setting career and personal goals
- Learning what employers are looking for when they hire graduates
- Practising the skills needed to access employment including developing your resume and building your professional skills
What can't I expect from a career information interview or mentor program?
- A job offer: A career information interview or participation in the mentoring program is not an application for a job.
- Academic advice
Next steps.
Before proceeding to search for a Deakin Alumni you are advised to read through the guidelines (informational interviewing or mentoring, depending on which service you are using) which will explain the process and answer any questions you may have:- Read the career information interviewing guidelines (for interviewers).
- Read the mentoring guidelines (for mentees).
- Search for a Deakin alumni member.
- Submit application form on-line to the alumni of your choice. Accepting the terms of agreement (Mentoring or Information Interviewing) is mandatory prior to submission.
- Upon being accepted by the alumni member, initiate contact with them as soon as possible.
Want to know more?
Career information interviewing guidelines (for interviewers).
Terms of agreement (career information interviewing).
Mentoring guidelines (for mentees).
Terms of agreement (mentoring program).
Privacy statement.
Mentor guidelines (information about mentor responsibilities).
Further information:
Tips for making the most of your mentoring.
Mentee training manual. (51 KB)
