Mentoring
In your last year at Campion, you have the opportunity to participate in Campion CONNECTions, our alumni mentoring program. This is a great way to take an important step for your personal and professional development, learning from the experience of an alumni mentor! Whilst it will not always be possible to have an exact match to your intended career choice(s), every mentor will endeavour to share her/his experience with you to the best of her/his abilities and guide you in making decisions regarding future study, your vocation, work and volunteering post-Campion.
When does the mentoring program take place?
Campion CONNECTions will run in alignment with the academic year. You will be required to undertake a minimum of 3 meetings (face-to-face or via an online platform) within a 5-month timeframe, either March-July (Semester 1) or (August-December (Semester 2). The mentor and mentee may elect to extend the mentorship after this time – for another period of 5 months or any time stipulated by both mentor and mentee.
What’s involved?
- Meeting face-to-face or through an online platform at least 3 times over the mentoring period
- Submitting a mentoring agreement at the first meeting in consultation with your mentor
- Agreeing on a mentoring schedule and objectives
- Attending meetings and following up with action items
- Observing confidentiality and punctuality
- Responding to communications in a timely manner
Possible objectives you might like to address with your mentor:
- Decide on career path/future study
- Learn about a new career option
- Create a career plan
- Gain insight into the mentor’s workplace environment and culture
- Broaden network and understanding of how to find internships/job opportunities
- Understand and improve upon professional skills
- Discuss the labour market and how to approach job applications and interviews
I was lucky enough to find a match for the Alumni Mentoring Program from its inception and it has been an excellent experience! I was matched with Ivy as she had already completed the Masters of Music Therapy course that I was about to enrol in. It has been so helpful to have someone to chat with who has already completed their postgrad study and is now practising in the field.
As you are all aware, course info booklets can only help so much, and Ivy has been there to answer any questions I have about her day-to-day working life post study. Not only was I provided with really helpful information about the application process and what the job entails, but Ivy has become a strong connection for me to the industry. I am certainly now becoming aware that those connections are a huge help and because we are all coming from that same background of study at Campion (which can be likened to a small puddle in comparison to the ocean of the world), having those links in the workplace or field is always an advantage.
I can speak on behalf of the younger graduates and say that having alumni to connect with who now have years worth of experience in the workforce is so helpful, even just to allow us to gain an understanding of how we can use our liberal arts degree to begin and then advance in our career. A huge thanks to Sr Luka for getting this up and running, and I really encourage you all to get involved.
The process
As a mentee you must:
- Attend a mentee training session (at the start of the semester) to formally register for the program
- When matched with a mentor, make initial contact to coordinate your first meeting
- At your first meeting, discuss and complete the mentoring agreement in consultation with your mentor
- Prepare a checklist for each meeting
How to register
Please contact the Student Life Officer for further information. When you are ready to register, please complete the Careers and Mentoring Survey (via the link below) and and choose ‘Yes’ when you get to the section on Mentoring.