I’ve been a mentor in Aston University’s Professional Mentoring programme for over 10 years. The initial meeting with my assigned undergraduate student usually takes place in October. We discuss and identify their career options, then work back, step-by-step to determine what kind of placement would best serve that ambition including sector, organisation type and ideal role.
When I first met Aliza, she had already identified the brands she wanted to work for, with Microsoft at the top of that list. She had researched potential internships and started to approach the ones that aligned with her career objectives.
I may have wondered what I could contribute to this dynamic, focused and go-getting undergraduate’s journey to find her placement year position. However, she had a clear vision for how I could help and here are some of the areas we’ve covered:
- Preparing for interview questions and what to wear
- The culture of companies and how to interact informally in these spaces
- The etiquette of attending meetings (when to listen and when/what/how to contribute)
- Time management and organisation
Fast forward to this summer. Now in post at Microsoft (as if that was in any doubt!), her planned position has transitioned to working directly with its UK National Skills Director. Excitingly, she gets to be part of an impactful programme across a range of sectors, focused on upskilling the nation in using AI.
Although officially our time together is over, we continued regular catch-ups throughout her placement year.