Industry mentors for students
Chloe Thomson, an alumnus with a strong sense of giving back to the University, this year acted as a mentor to a second-year agricultural science student Gabrielle Lanman.
Chloe Thomson (BAgrSc (Hons) 2004) currently works as Victorian Strawberry Industry Development Officer and was herself a mentee in the University’s Career Mentor Connection (CMC) program, which involves students from six faculties and mentors from professions and industries such as architecture, agriculture, medicine, engineering, education and business.
Gabrielle said: “My future career is of utmost importance to
me and I am fully committed to ensuring my goals come to fruition. At
this stage I am bursting with ideas of what I want and what I could
contribute to my community and society
as a whole. My biggest problem is that I have very little idea of what
is going on in the industry and this program has given me a chance to
get an inside view on the markets, attitudes and real-life issues that
surround the industry which I will be part of in the very near future.”
Chloe understands the uncertainty Gabrielle feels when thinking about her career options.
“I decided to become a mentor to an agricultural science student
this year, because I was mentored as a student and the program gave
me insight into the job possibilities,” she said.
“My mentor encouraged me to follow my particular areas of interest
– extension and project management. As a recent graduate I still
understand the pressures of finding a job and the nervousness of being
thrown in the deep end when you do! I hope I can reassure my mentee
that you never stop learning and that a degree is only the beginning.”
Students and mentors are matched on interests and other criteria, such as convenience of location. Both parties set goals and sign a mentoring agreement, outlining their time commitment to the program.
CMC coordinators, based in Careers and Employment, provide the framework for new and existing programs, including resources, materials, consultative support and evaluation.
Faculty CMC programs for 2005 are in:
- Land and Food Resources – second and third-year degree students of agricultural science, resource management, horticulture, food science, animal science and management, and forestry linked with mentors working in relevant agriindustries;
- Medicine – second-year MBBS students linked with either rural or urban practitioners, GPs or specialists;
- Engineering – final-year students linked with mentors in the various engineering fields;
- Economics and Commerce – postgraduate students linked with mentors in the profession, based on their degree specialisation;
- Architecture – third-year students linked with mentors in architectural practice; property and construction – third-year students linked with mentors in the construction, property or quantity surveying industries;
- Landscape Architecture – both undergraduate and postgraduate students linked with landscape architect mentors; and
- Education Rural Teaching Support – supports placements for primary education students in the rural areas including a mentor (either a teacher or community based).
This year nearly 250 University of Melbourne students were matched with career mentors from industry and the professions.
The program would like to encourage more alumni to be mentors so if you'd like to play a part, please contact Liz Everist, Career Mentoring Program Coordinator +61 3 8344 3377.
For more information on how the program works, visit www.services.unimelb.edu.au/cmc/
