Two students show their professional mentoring certificates 

Find out more and contact us

If you have any questions, would like to find out more about the scheme or you are an upcoming student who would like to become a mentee, please email mentoring.careers@plymouth.ac.uk.
Join our career mentoring scheme which offers a unique opportunity to gain personalised guidance from someone with real-world experience in your chosen field. By participating, you can develop a clearer sense of direction, learn valuable industry-specific skills, and receive advice on navigating challenges you might face in your career journey. Additionally, the connections made through mentoring can open doors to networking opportunities, internships, and even future job prospects. Overall, it's a chance to accelerate your personal and professional growth, making the transition from student to professional smoother and more informed.

Why should you take part and what could be covered?

Mentors can help you gain unique insights into your desired careers, learn about networking opportunities, increase your skills and undertake mock interviews, giving you a competitive advantage in the job market.
Support could include:
  • CV writing/help
  • cover letters and applications
  • networking and introducing contacts
  • insight into industry
  • personal development
  • practice interviews
  • top tips for your sector.
On completion of the programme, you will receive a Career mentoring programme digital badge, showcasing your commitment to your personal and career development. Learn more about the benefits of digital badging .

Who can apply?

The Careers Mentoring Programme is open to all students in all undergraduate, postgraduate taught, masters courses and recent graduates only. Unfortunately, this is not open to postgraduate research courses.
Priority matching will go to students who fall under the following groups in keeping with the University’s Widening Participation Strategic statement: care leavers, students with disabilities, mature students, black and ethnic minority students and low participation neighbourhoods to ensure we offer a full supportive package. Secondary matching will then to go all other applicants who have not been on the programme before.
A member of the University of the Third Age mentoring a University of Plymouth student.

Programme timeline

Meet your Mentor
Find it hard to break the ice? We hold some “Meet your Mentor” events for each strand – these are held both on campus and online and give mentoring pairs the chance to meet each other with the mentoring team on hand for guidance... we also provide tea/coffee and biscuits!
Meet your Mentor – drop in sessions
These are optional facilitated sessions which are hosted by the mentoring team who are on hand to answer any questions you or your mentor may have. These will be held in the Student Hub inside the Charles Seale Hayne Library and are a great way to meet up with your mentor in a familiar setting.
Celebration Event
Each year we recognise the achievements of mentoring pairs across all of our programmes. We all come together and share in success stories and have a bit of fun (and some cake!). These celebration events are held on campus.

Strand 1

Applications close: 17 October 2025

Strand 2

Applications close: 13 January 2025

Student feedback

Benefits of joining the Careers Mentoring Programme and becoming a mentee

Find out about the benefits of joining the Careers Mentoring Programme and working with a professional in industry to explore your career goals and personal development.
 

Apply now and contact us

We look forward to welcoming you as part of the mentoring programme.
If you have any questions, or would like to find out more about our mentoring schemes, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can email Rachel and Julia at mentoring.careers@plymouth.ac.uk.
Rachel Williams and Julia Heckford, Careers Service
 
 
Together we mentor graphic for careers mentoring 

Our supporters

Thank you to these amazing businesses whose staff have kindly given up some of their time as mentors:

AAA Foundation · ABC Service · A.B. Marine and Offshore Surveys Consultancy Limited · Academic Development · Accenture · Achievement Training · Active Training Limited · Africa Trade Academy · Aldermans · Alison Morton Physiotherapy · Alstom · Amaris Terminal · Ambios Ltd · AMP Logistics Ghana Limited · Anglian Water · Animals Asia Foundation · APEM Group · Arcadis Consulting · ARGANS · Ark King Solomon Academy · AROBOTNX · Ashaiman Municipal Assembly · Ashfords LLP · Atkins Ltd · Azets · Babcock International · BAE Systems · Bailey Partnership (Multidisciplinary Construction Consultancy) · Balnacra Pottery · Bank of England · Barbican Botanics Gin Room · Barbican theatre · BBC · Becca’s Children’s Books · Bechtel · BD Waste · Beers LLP · Binnies UK Ltd · BK Links LTD · BMT · BNPS International · Bomet University College · BP Mauritania · Brain Tumour Research · Breakthrough Too · Breakwater Productions · Bridgeway Consulting Limited · Bupa Dental Care · Cadence Design Systems Inc · Capgemini Invent · Capita · Caroline Stevens Counselling and Psychotherapy · Cefas · Choice Support, Care Quality Commission and University of Plymouth · Christmas Union Academy · CINEC Campus · Circles South West · Citizens Advice Plymouth · Civica · ClairWN Business & Marketing · Coolset · CommScope · Competition and Markets Authority · Compass Group UK & IESS a subsector of Compass Group · Consortiq · Coombe Dean School · Cornwall Council · Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust · CSW Group · Daniel Chidley Coaching · DCUK · Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust · Dartmoor Zoo · Department of Health and Social Care · Design & Safety Ltd · Devon Air Ambulance · Devon and Cornwall Police · Devon County Council · Devon County Council Adult Social Care · Devon Partnership NHS Trust · Digitalbox · Disability Enabling Network · Disruption Works Ltd · Diversity Business Incubator · Dredge Masters Limited · Dyson · E3 Consulting · Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College · Ecus Ltd · Eddystone Media · Egress Software Technologies · Electric Bear Group Ltd · Eminent Financial · Enterprise Rent-A-Car · Environment Agency · Equitas Financial Ltd · European Environment Agency, Copenhagen · EV Cargo · Everyone Health · Exeter College · Exim Dance Company · Feather&Fossil Interior Design · FDB (First Databank) · Flowbird Urban Intelligence · Foot Anstey LLP · Formula E · Franckly Ltd. · Frazer-Nash Consultancy · Fresh Digital Media · Freshwater Biological Association · Fugro · GA Solicitors · German Institute of Business and Technology · Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons · Ghana Navy · GomSpace Aps · GSK · Hafren Ousque Associates/RandDTax · Hampshire County Council · Hart Marine Consultants Ltd · Hatt Health and Movement Clinic · Helen Round · HMCTS · HMRC · Hymid Multi-Shot · IMDb · Inspiring On Healthcare · iSURVEY · IWM Recruitment Limited · Jacobs UK Limited · Jeremiah's Journey · Jersey Probation and After Care · JMC Recruitment · Jubb Consulting Engineers · Kirkland & Ellis International LLP · Koerber Supply Chain · KUSI Consulting · L3Harris · Larkin Community Hospital, Florida USA · Leonardo Hotels · Liberty Pearl Photography/Audacious Lives · Light & Wonder · Link Academy Trust · Livewell Southwest · Lloyds Banking Group · Lush Cosmetics (Retail) · Marine Biological Association · Marine Conservation Society · Mark Holt & Co · MBA Consulting · McCarthy Stone · Mercedes Benz AG · Meta · Met Office · Microsoft · Mike Thompson Metal Sculpture · Ministry of Defence · Miranda Salmon · Missing People · Modern Wolf · Montoya Marketing Ltd · Morgan Sindall Construction · Mulberry Rural Ltd · Nash and Co Solicitors · National Academy of Students' Achievement Awards Ghana (NASAAG) · National Marine Park · National Trust · NFU Mutual · NHS · Nijhuis Saur · Nolato · North Star · Novartis Pharmaceuticals · Ocean Conservation Trust · Old Rope Music Group · Oracle Corporation · Partners in Supply Ltd · Pauline Quirke Academy Plymouth · Pell Frischmann · Peregrine · Plymouth City Council · Plymouth Community Homes · Plymouth Scrapstore · Plymouth Waterfront Partnership · PortExpertise · Practical Education Network · Prometheus School · Psytec Games · Quintica SA Pty Ltd · Quotient Sciences · RDUH NHS · Reach Subsea · Reconnect, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust · Reedmace · Regional Maritime University · Rendall & Rittner Ltd · Ricardo · RMIT University · Rowe IT · Royal Aeronautical Society · Royal Navy · Royal Society of Chemistry · RSK · RSPCA · RZSS · Sahara MEP Engineering Ltd · SAS Software · Schneider Electric · Scicorp (China) Co Ltd · Scott Jenkin Photography · Seaworks Training & Consulting (UK), STAMKON (Greece) · Serotonin Digital Ltd · Simpila Wellbeing · SMBC Bank EU AGmaritime · Software Solved Ltd · Sonardyne Training · Southwest Live-In Care Ltd · Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing · St Luke's Hospice, Plymouth · Stantec · Stride Treglown Ltd · Sulmara · Summit Imagery Ltd · SWGfL Trust Ltd · Tamar Aquatics · Teaching Personnel · Teens Tourism and Hospitality Club · The Box · The Channel Company · The Co-operative Group and University of Bristol · The Football Association · The Hundred Hands · The National Lottery Community Fund · Thessaloniki Port Authority · Thought Den · TMW Photography · Tony Cobley Photography · Total Energy Solutions · Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust · Travel Counsellors (Thornton Bespoke Travel ltd) · Trowers & Hamlins LLP · Turner & Townsend · UCSP Ltd · UHP – Derriford Hospital, Pathology · UHP NHS Trust · Uncoded Limited · UK Hydrographic Office · UK Research and Innovation · United Nations · University of Bath · University of Exeter · University of Plymouth · UTEC · Viktoria Howden Consultancy · Volta Lake Transport Company Limited · Vospers Motorhouse Ltd · Walter C. Parson Funeral Directors · Webhelp · Wellington School · WeTrain Solutions · Wheal Jane Consultancy · Wildanet Ltd · Wits RHI (South Africa) · Wolferstans LLP · Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP · World Maritime University · WSP · XOCEAN · Young Epilepsy · Youth Justice Board