Applications for the 2015/16 Alumni Mentoring Scheme are now open, giving you the chance to paired up with an Imperial alumnus in the world of work.

The Careers Service is delighted to open student applications for the 2015/16 Alumni Mentoring Scheme. The scheme provides undergraduates (from the second year to finalists) and PhD students the opportunity to be mentored by a professional alumnus, who could be working in a chosen field of interest, a related profession, or from your degree background. The aim of the Alumni Mentoring Scheme is to encourage personal and professional growth - for both the student mentee and the employer mentors.

Who are the mentors?

The Mentors are Imperial alumni who have volunteered their time to provide support to students and the scheme is intended to help you make the transition from student to the next stage in your career.

What could I gain from the Scheme?

The primary goal of the scheme is to provide an insight into the world of work and help you make the transition from student to working graduate, developing your professional skills and commercial awareness. Benefits participants on last year's scheme fed back to us included:

• Professional insight into your chosen industry or career
• Increased knowledge of what working in a certain sector involves and the typical networking and recruitment processes
• Greater self-awareness of your transferrable skills and those you need to develop
• Ideas and strategies for developing these skills
• Options and opportunities for gaining experience in your chosen sector
• Awareness of new opportunities and directions
• Improved self-confidence and increased self-assurance in your own abilities

However, participation on the Scheme is not work experience, or intended to lead to an offer of employment with the Mentor’s employer - but with all the potential benefits above, there is already plenty to gain!

How do I find out more and apply?

For further information on the Scheme and to complete an application form, please visit the Alumni Mentoring Scheme website. The deadline for applying is Monday 2 November 2015 at 09.00. Successful applicants will be sent further details about the Scheme and invited to the Alumni Mentoring Scheme Introduction event in the first week of December to meet their Mentor and receive a brief training session.