Victoria University offers career mentoring programs with various industry partners:

  • National Australia Bank (NAB)

  • IBM

  • Commonwealth Bank

  • Suncorp

  • Cundall.

The industry career mentoring programs match current students with senior staff members (mentors). The one-on-one mentoring allows students to discuss their career aspirations or concerns and helps them prepare for the transition from university to work.

We also offer a career-transition program where you can become involved as an alumni mentor to students from any discipline.

Related

Our industry mentors

At VU, we consider a mentor to be a more experienced person who assists another person to grow and learn by sharing their personal, career and transitioning experiences.

Our mentors have a range of professional experiences, and use their knowledge and skills in a variety of settings for educational and/or career development purposes.

Get in touch to become a mentor

  • If your company would like to be involved in our industry career mentoring programs, please contact us so we can work with you to determine the criteria you set for prospective student mentees.
  • If you work for one of our industry partners mentioned on this page, you can contact the internal contact person within your company.
  • If you'd like to be an alumni mentor, helping students from related disciplines with their career transition, register your interest online.

Benefits for students

Taking part in one of our industry career mentoring programs helps our students:

  • learn about common graduate career paths/job options for their discipline/course
  • discover what employers are looking for in new employees/graduates
  • gain knowledge of work/industry expectations and culture
  • develop professional networks in their chosen discipline
  • explore options for work experience, site visits and job shadowing.

These mentoring programs are fully funded – there are no fees for students.

How do the mentor programs work?

Career mentoring

Penultimate and final-year students are eligible for the mentoring program run in partnership with the businesses listed above.

  • Our students are briefed at a pre-program induction.
  • Students (mentees) are matched to a mentor (one-on-one).
  • Three to six meetings are arranged between the mentor and mentee. Meetings are approximately 60 minutes each and occur over 6-12 weeks.
  • Meetings are at a mutually agreed location and time – usually in the CBD.
  • Ongoing support from VU's Student Career Development is available for all participants.
  • Comprehensive program instruction manuals are provided.

Talent Connect job-ready program

Students from any discipline in their final semester are eligible for mentorship through VU's alumni mentoring program.

  • Students (mentees) are matched to a mentor (one-on-one).
  • We ask that you spend at least one hour per month with your mentee.
  • Meetings may be face-to-face or online.
  • You may offer job shadowing.
  • Ongoing support is offered to you through our Careers team.
  • The mentorship lasts 6 months following graduation.
  • You must be available to meet in Melbourne.

Mentor program success & awards

Since 2011, when mentoring with industry partners was implemented at VU, more than:

  • 300 industry mentors have volunteered in our mentoring programs
  • 600 VU students have been mentored.

We’ve received several awards to recognise these positive outcomes:

  • 2013 Excellence in International Education – finalist – Student Employability & Careers (Victoria Government)
  • 2013 Vice-Chancellor's Citation for Excellence in Learning & Teaching Programs that Enhance learning (VU)
  • 2012 Victorian Training, Education & Development Award (Industry Association)
  • 2011 Pro-Vice Chancellor's Award for Best Individual Initiative (VU)

These awards acknowledge the overwhelming positive feedback from program participants including:

  • improved sense of well-being among industry mentors
  • significant enhancement in student employability.

Contact us

If you’d like more information about our mentoring programs, please contact one of the following people.

To become a mentor through one of the partners listed above, or to register your company's interest in the mentoring program, contact:

Vicky Schilling
Careers Coordinator – Projects.
Phone: +61 3 9919 4830
Email: vicky.schilling@vu.edu.au

If you are an alumnus interested in being a job-transition mentor to a student in a related discipline, contact:

Sarah Tate
Alumni Relations Officer
Phone: +61 3 9919 1413
Email: talent.connect@vu.edu.au