Insight and connections

Anonymous

The most important thing I gained from my involvement in the industry mentoring program is a supportive, knowledgeable mentor who I will continue to keep in touch with over the coming years. My mentor gave me an amazing insight into the organisation and went above and beyond to help me network further with other members of the organisation. The connections and networks I have made are invaluable.

The most valuable part of this program for me was the casual yet valuable conversations that I had with my mentor and the insights I gained into prospective careers.

I gained guidance and clarity regarding my career path in Marketing. I was also given the opportunity to attend networking events and gained two paid positions (one with Gold Coast Suns and one with 102.9 Hot Tomato) which may also result in a graduate position. My mentor went above and beyond the obligations of the program and provided me with amazing support and opportunity – I can’t thank her enough.

Developed new skills and made the most of every opportunity!

Anonymous

I gained confidence in my own ability and the chance to brainstorm and bounce ideas around with my mentor. I have developed a lot of my communication and networking skills, including development of a blog, attendance at numerous industry events and personal development courses and materials. I have gained a lot from this experience - but it is truly what you at the student choose to make of it!

Invaluable opportunity!

Anonymous

The understanding that everyone is in the same position , no matter how scared you feel there are others feeling the same way. It was about understanding what is that I want and how it is that I will go about to get it. This program really helped me understand my self-worth and that the hard work in my uni life can be connected to my industry and the job that I want.

The opportunity to discuss my career aspirations/goals with someone who was solely focused one me and who was also highly experienced in his field, was invaluable.

Mentor perspective: Access to recruit great talent

Anonymous

The value I have derived from the Program this year is being able to assist and guide my mentee as best I can, not just with his career but other real life issues that could affect his career choices. The program allows me to keep abreast with the challenges faced by graduates as they struggle to get into the work force and provides an avenue for me to recruit great talent and fill in vacancies that may come up in my own ventures.

Learning flows in both directions

Anonymous

Every year I participate as a mentor I learn more about the value of being a mentor and having a mentor, about my own strengths and weaknesses (professionally and personally), about what I enjoy most and least about my job - all valuable reflective exercises triggered by the program.

Mentoring provides cultural insight

Lauren Cunningham

When I signed up for this program, I had in my head a baseline goal of growth I wanted to accomplish, both professionally and personally. Tina has provided that growth in spades. From our first meeting we focused on getting to know one another, both to best tailor how the rest of our communications would go as well as to see what we could teach each other. We then hit the ground running, agreeing to meet every other week for an hour, with our topics covering resumes, business etiquette, volunteering opportunities, and jobs similar to her own. These were invaluable particularly since I am an American and wasn't aware of the differences in the job culture in Australia, nor was Tina of America. Tina has also invited me to several of her equity programs, and has had me interview her colleagues to get a better perspective of her role as Equity Officer, a position I didn't know existed before starting this program. Besides the practical skills and tips Tina has provided, she's also given me a huge boost to my personal confidence, encouraging me to get more involved in the community rather than questioning my qualifications. This motivated me to take on the role of the Student Equity Officer at GUPSA, and we are now planning future collaboration with our offices to improve the lives of Griffith students during their educational journey. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to find my tribe.

Romy's Rockin it as a Mentee!

Eddie Bryant

Romy my Mentee is doing really well. Two weeks in she has learnt how to upload & layout content in WordPress. Wrote several articles for blogs and e-newsletters and even wrote an email campaign for a world famous restaurant chain. We're doing a SWOT analysis in coming weeks and working on what she wants and how she is going to get there. Jaffaman Eddie, CIC, T.G.I.C. Eddies Copywriting, Content & Marketing Centre

Two different continents, two different career paths, one goal #mymentorisbettrrthanyour😂

Oluchi Mbachu

Growing day by day with mentoring

Biza Jacob

This has been an amazing experience for me personally and professionally. I believe all organisations should encourage mentoring as a way of professional up-bringing of the junior employees. But sadly we don't see that in many places. I wish I had a mentor like Arnel few years ago, it would have changed my life and career in a positive way. However, it is better late than never. I am very fortunate to be in this program. I am growing day by day with mentoring.

My time so far with Jess and the QPS

Alicia Sutherland

At this current point in time I feel quite blessed and lucky to be involved with my mentor, Acting Sergeant Jess Hopkin. Not only do I feel that we have connected on a professional level, she has made me feel really comfortable and welcome in participating in activities at the Queensland Police Academy. So far, I have sat in on one of the recruit lessons which was about "traffic crash" situations, and watched the QPS practice and train for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, as well as being shown around a police station and interacting with other officers that are involved in different aspects of policing. When I signed up for this program I had little to no idea about what I had hoped to achieve, but Jess has been really accomodating and very easy to work with and has help me to discover that I would eventually like to end up in the Police/working with the Police. I am honestly feeling very grateful that she has taken the time to open my eyes to opportunities and inspiring me to go out and get what I want.

Gaining an international perspective

Anonymous

My mentor works in the US, and I am keen to pursue my career there as well in the future. I asked my mentor many questions such as: "What makes a good analyst?", "How do you effectively build an international network?" and "What strategies will assist you to progress within an organisation?". I really appreciated his answers to these questions, as well as insights on other topics we covered. He shared his leadership style and how he delegates tasks to his team. We also discussed how he identifies the strengths and weaknesses in his staff in order to bring out their potential.

Testing my wings

Anonymous

I was paired with an industry mentor who had similar interests to me in issues affecting the aviation industry. This gave me the opportunity to gain an insider perspective on how the industry is dealing with these issues, and also to participate in research to support my mentor's efforts in creating change within the industry. My report made it to QANTAS headquarters as part of my mentor's presentation, so I feel as though this was my first real opportunity to work on something meaningful in my aviation career.