Alumni Mentorship Programme

• Alumni and students register for the programme in October: after which point we pair mentors and mentees based on experience, shared interests, and goals. We then ask that our alumni commit to meeting the students at least three times over the course of the academic year, either in person or over Zoom/Skype/phone call as is convenient.
• Before participants are matched, everyone is invited to take part in a brief online Q&A session, in which the programme leader will run through the programme and answer any of your questions.
• During these meetings, students are encouraged to ask the alumni questions about their career and professional insights. Alumni are encouraged to the best of their ability, provide feedback and encouragement, and provide relevant advice and insights based on their own knowledge.
• A full break-down of the programme can be found online.

The mentoring programme is set up to support our students: to enable them to access in-depth personal experience into the workplace that they might not always be able to obtain. Many of our students are already looking towards next professional steps after graduation, and the support of our alumni not only encourages them in these next steps, but also helps them work out career goals and gives practical insight into applications and development.

Although primarily set up for students, many of our alumni mentors have found that the programme is beneficial for them as well: not only as a CV-boosting exercise, but as a way of connecting with the next generation of policy professionals and analysing their own career aspirations.

There will be regular check-ins from the course convenor throughout the year, including a brief online Q&A session at the beginning of the Autumn Term. If anyone is experiencing difficulties with the programme, we ask that in the first instance you let the course convenor know.

Of course! Find out more about the programmes' benefits from past mentors and mentees below:

I am immensely grateful for guidance I received from my mentor, Mallory. Our sessions have been incredibly insightful, helping me build confidence and navigate the complexities of starting a professional career in the UK. Mallory’s advice and support have been invaluable, providing me with practical tips and a clearer vision for my future career path. I now feel more prepared and optimistic about pursuing my professional goals

– Bakhtiyar M Salmanov, MPA student participant.

I encourage all alumni to become mentors! Engaging with students as they start to think about life after LSE has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own career path. Discussing goals and exploring career options inevitably led me to reflect on my own professional trajectory since leaving the SPP: why had I attended LSE? What was I hoping to achieve afterwards? Is my career path faithful to the values that had driven me to the MPA? Taking the time to reflect on these questions during our mentoring conversations was immensely rewarding.

Coralie Harouni, alumni mentor (MPA, 2021)

David Rinnert, my SPP mentor, played an instrumental role in navigating my professional development. Through his mentorship, I gained valuable guidance that enhanced my professional growth. His insightful suggestions and constructive feedback helped me to refine my professional development strategies. David also facilitated networking opportunities by connecting me with relevant professionals, which expanded my professional network and opened up new avenues for career advancement. His support and dedication were pivotal in my journey, making my experience in the SPP mentorship programme both productive and enriching. Inspired by the benefits I have gained, I am eager to give back and provide similar mentorship support to others in the SPP mentorship programme in future.

Md Sariful Islam, MPP student participant.

I thoroughly enjoyed the SPP Mentorship Programme! It was great getting to know Priyal and supporting her in thinking through life post-SPP. At the same time, the programme was a wonderful way to keep updated on the SPP and what was top of mind for students today. I recommend future alumni participate in the programme to support and learn from SPP students.

Maya Daver-Massion, alumni mentor (MPA, 2022)

General

What happens if my mentor/mentee is not responding to my emails?

If you’ve sent a couple of emails and are not getting a response, please get in touch with the course convenor at spp.alumni@lse.ac.uk so we can check in with your mentor/mentee. There are many reasons why your partner might struggle to respond for a few weeks, but so we have full oversight of the programme and ensure that you have the best experience possible, we ask you bring any issues like this up as swiftly as possible.

We’ve also found that emails between partners can often get trapped in junk folders, so do add your partner’s email to your Safe Senders list.

I have concerns about my partnership/something happened in one of my meetings that makes me uncomfortable. How can I address this?

As with any working relationship within the LSE, all participants within the SPP Student Support Scheme are expected to conduct their relationship respectfully, and without discrimination, harassment, or bullying. To find out more about LSE’s anti-harassment policies, please check online. In the first instance please come to the course convenor at spp.alumni@lse.ac.uk so we can address any concerns.

Both mentors and mentees are reminded that you can leave the mentorship programme at any time, and we can facilitate ending a partnership if you require.

Who should be driving the meetings?

Student mentees should be getting in touch with their mentors, arranging times to meet, and setting the agenda for all meetings.

How many meetings can we hold?

We recommend three meetings of around forty-five minutes apiece. If mentors and mentees want to meet further then please do; however we remind students to be respectful of our mentors’ time and not badger for more meetings than they are comfortable giving.

What should the meetings be about?

These meetings should be focussed around professional development and career progression. Students should not be asking for alumni to look at their academic work or make direct approaches relating to work shadowing, internships or job opportunities.

Mentors

Can I apply if I live outside of London?

Because of our wonderful international community most of our mentors are based beyond London/the UK, so please do apply!

Can I mentor more than one student?

Absolutely – please just let us know at your point of registration.

I’m getting too busy for the programme; can I leave early?

Of course: however we ask that mentors let their student partner know of this and that they won’t be taking the programme forward. Please also let the course convenor know at spp.alumni@lse.ac.uk so we are aware of what’s going on.

Mentees

I feel I’ve gotten all I can out of the partnership, but I haven’t had all three meetings. What should I do? / The academic year is getting too busy, can I finish the programme early?

Our mentees aren’t obligated to carry on the mentorship programme for the full run; however we ask all mentees in this position to respect the time their mentor has put into the programme by thanking them for their time and letting them know that they won’t be taking the programme forward. Please also let the course convenor know at spp.alumni@lse.ac.uk so we are aware of what’s going on.

What should I do if I’ve been matched with a partner and I don’t feel their career profile is a good fit for me?

With so many participants we are unfortunately unable to match everyone with someone who shares all their precise interests, however we always try to make a match where partners share some interests and experiences. We therefore recommend you have at least one meeting to see what you can get out of the programme – if this does not work out, then of course feel free to follow the above advice.