Careers Network Mentoring Scheme
MSc Immunology and Immunotherapy 2025
How did you find starting out on your mentorship?
Initially, I was a bit nervous about getting started with the mentoring scheme, since I did not have prior experience as a mentee. I was further apprehensive about whether I had been matched with a suitable mentor and how the mentoring relationship would evolve. However, during the first meeting with my mentor, he made me feel at ease and took time to understand my background and future goals, which helped me connect with him. I think as a mentee, it is important to keep an open mind when starting on the mentorship journey and to be perceptive to the mentor’s guidance. At the end of the day, the mentors want to help their mentees achieve their goals, and the best way to do that is to ask questions and be proactive.
What did you talk about?
I was matched with a clinical scientist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. We had online meetings over MS Teams and began by discussing my career goals and what I aimed to achieve as a result of this mentoring scheme. He further guided me through my career options in academia and industry, encouraged me to shortlist a few companies I was interested in working at, reviewed my CV and cover letters, and provided detailed feedback on the supporting statements for the jobs I applied to. He further helped me with interview preparation- rehearsing potential interview questions with me and helping frame appropriate answers. In addition to online meetings, we stayed connected throughout the mentorship via email, whereby he answered any questions I had and offered advice when needed.
How did mentoring compare to your initial preconceptions?
At first, I thought mentoring would be quite formal and structured, with set agendas each time. Instead, I found the conversations to be very open and flexible, which actually made it easier for me to share my challenges and get honest advice. Furthermore, I realised over time that mentoring isn’t a one-way process where the mentees only receive advice; it is a two-way street that requires the mentee to reflect and conduct their own research in terms of the career they want, leading to a collaborative discussion with fruitful outcomes.
What did you learn?
An important lesson I learned through my mentorship was the importance of engaging in extra-curricular and volunteering/shadowing activities alongside academics to gain relevant experience. These activities often help shape an individual and highlight the transferable skill set during job interviews. Such experiences further come in handy when writing cover letters and supporting statements, enabling a candidate to stand out more effectively.