We run an Alumni Mentoring Scheme and are looking for alumni students (undergraduate or postgraduate) to be mentors.
Our mentors work with students in their second or third year of their Social Policy undergraduate degree. The scheme aims to provide them with additional insights beyond their degree and support them with the transition to employment/further education.
Please see testimonials below to hear about our mentors' and mentees' experiences taking part in the Scheme.
Mentor testimonials:
I feel very fortunate being able to participate in the Alumni Mentoring Programme. As a mentor, I am getting to know some fantastic students, while also being able to share advice and tips on how to approach next steps in my mentees’ careers - whether it is reviewing applications, discussing potential internship opportunities, or sharing my own experiences after graduating from the LSE. More general, it is a way for me to give back to a school that has supported my own career development greatly at the time.
Participating in the Alumni Mentoring Program has helped me stay connected to the Department of Social Policy after graduating from LSE. I greatly enjoy learning about the different experiences and interests of current students and sharing my perspective on topics like navigating the job search, networking in a virtual environment, editing CVs and resumes, and preparing for interviews. The Social Policy Department did a great job of matching me with mentees who were interested in working in a similar sector as me, so I felt like I was able to provide concrete, actionable advice to mentees based on my own experience. Throughout participating in this program, I have been impressed with the students' level of preparation for our meetings, and we typically agree on topics in advance so we can both prepare for the next session. For a small commitment of my time, I think (and hope) I have been able to help current undergraduate students prepare for their professional careers after LSE.
Mentee testimonials:
My experience with the mentoring program has been very beneficial. My mentor provided invaluable insights into the civil service, offering practical advice on navigating my career path. The mentorship program was an enriching experience that I would recommend to other students.The Alumni Mentoring Programme proved to be a transformative experience for me during my second year of university, where I had no clear career goals. Having a mentor who shared a background in Social Policy at LSE was invaluable, as it provided me with unique insights into the diverse career paths available, such as consulting. Through this programme, I gained a wealth of information and firsthand experiences from my mentor, equipping me with the necessary tools to make informed decisions about my future.
Going into my final year at LSE, I was unsure of what lay ahead of me. The Alumni Mentoring Programme gave me the opportunity to seek advice from someone who had been in my shoes a few years earlier in a constructive and candid way. As my mentor was abroad, we held three Skype sessions to discuss my goals, how to develop good habits, and career-specific knowledge. Throughout the experience, my mentor was very friendly and fully engaged with my queries. I felt comfortable enough to ask even the ‘silly’ questions. For me, the best thing I took from these calls was the actionable instructions I gleaned from our conversations. They helped me develop a good plan of action to make the most of my last year at LSE and set me up for post-university life. Thanks to my mentor, I have been able to secure an internship with the Cabinet Office this summer and a full-time offer from McKinsey for next year. I found this programme to be invaluable.
The Alumni Mentoring Programme has been really useful for me, especially being in 3rd year and still not having a clear idea of what I want to do after university. Having a mentor who studied in the same university and department as me was extremely helpful, as it allowed me to explore and inquire about the various careers available to those with a background in Social Policy, such as social research. I’m really glad that I joined the programme, as I now have more information and insight into first-hand experiences in the career world.
If this sounds interesting to you, please register your interest here and we will be in contact.
If you have any questions, please email Kylie Patterson at socialpolicy.alumni@lse.ac.uk
The Department of Social Policy will use the information being collected in the above form for the following reasons: a) to contact you about the mentoring scheme, b) to process your interest in being a mentor and c) match you to a mentee (if applicable). We require this information for contractual reasons. You can ask us to stop processing your application by contacting Kylie Patterson at socialpolicy.alumni@lse.ac.uk. The data does not leave the UK/EU. Further information on how the School manages personal data can be found here.