Nettie Cox, British Army
Nettie Cox, British Army
What motivated you to become a mentor?
I was asked by Christine Dare at the Career Development Centre if I was interested - I would not have considered or thought of it otherwise. However, it did not take me long to decide to do it - I was impressed that the University offered such a facility to its students and could see that potentially both the student and the mentor could benefit in terms of personal development and enrichment.
What activities did you organise for your mentee?
My mentee had a few ideas as to what she might want to do on graduating but could not 'label' them as such. We exchanged emails and had a number of meetings to brainstorm ideas, carry out some research and draw up a short list.
This led to her producing a 'Work in Progress' CV which I helped her with and enrolling on a Volunteer Project and identifying work experience options.
She has subsequently been introduced to a former work colleague (Regional Manager with a branded coffee company) with a view to shadowing her and having some work experience over the summer.
What did you find most enjoyable?
She was quite hard work to start with as she was not fully convinced the scheme was for her. She had to be tied down and I could have taken the view 'if you don't want it enough, I'm off' but I'm glad I persevered. I enjoyed seeing her open up, grow in confidence and engage with the process.
Would you do it again?
Yes - different student, different challenge.
What advice would you give to potential mentors?
In my limited and humble experience and opinion I would say do not assume that they know how to behave, act or make the most of what you have to offer. You may have to work at it harder than you think but don't be put off, see it as a challenge.
Don't be a walk-over either, it's good to get them into the habit of making things happen for themselves.
What were the outcomes for you/ your organisation?
I have found it a rewarding and enriching experience - the cliché of giving back something comes to mind.
My organisation has not benefitted directly and the object of the exercise was never to recruit my mentee into the Army - that's my day job! I would like to think however that as a result of my positive experience and my involvement with the scheme that the university, my mentee and fellow mentors see the Army in a good and positive light - all too often we are pigeon-holed as Bad Lads Army types!
On a personal level it has made me realise how easy it is to help people just by using such soft skills such as listening, guiding, suggesting and facilitating - things that come easy to most of us and that we assume everyone has.
