Warwick Alumni Mentoring Guidelines

Mentoring is a learning relationship, involving the sharing of skills, knowledge, and expertise between a mentor and mentee through developmental conversations, experience sharing, and role modelling. The relationship may cover a wide variety of contexts and is an inclusive two-way partnership for mutual learning that values differences.

The European Mentoring and Coaching Council, 2025.

Get the most out of your mentorship

You want to go somewhere, and our alumni want to help you reach that goal! Gain invaluable insight from Warwick’s alumni offering one-on-one advice about your future. From the arts to investment banking, our alumni will support you with their years of experience to help you reach your ambitions.

As a mentee, you can:

• Hear from Warwick alumni who have walked in your shoes, so you know you can do it too
• Get personalised advice from professionals working in a role or sector you’re interested in, helping you feel informed and prepared.
• Uncover your strengths and develop new skills, so that you feel confident in your roles after Warwick
• Build your professional networks, so that you always have a wealth of experience to draw upon, even after your mentoring relationship has ended
• Know you’re benefiting from the experience of a professional who started where you are now, so you know the advice your receiving is right for you.

10 tips for getting the most out of your mentorship

1. Fill out your profile

A complete profile is the quickest way to boost your chances of finding a mentor. Share what you’re studying, your interests and aspirations, your current role (if relevant), and upload a profile photo - putting a face to a name really helps.

2. Make first contact

Take the initiative. Ask your mentor a question, share your goals, or ask about their Warwick experience or career journey. If you’re unsure where to start, mentors are often happy to talk about their time at Warwick or how they got into their sector.

3. Be prepared to drive the relationship

Mentors are often busy, so the most successful relationships are driven by you. Take responsibility for reaching out, arranging meetings, and keeping track of agreed goals and actions.

4. Have a clear plan

Think about why you want to work with this mentor, what you want to gain, and how you’ll approach it. Even a simple plan - like preparing questions about a sector - can help structure conversations and make them more valuable.

5. Set SMART goals

Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time‑based. Clear targets help you see progress and get tangible value from mentoring.

6. Ask better questions

Use the funnel technique: start with open questions, then follow up with more detailed ones. You can probe further, ask for clarification, or reflect on how their experience compares with your own. For example, you could ask your mentor how studying their course aided them in getting into a particular sector. After that, you could ask which elements of the course were most useful and then reflect on your own experience studying a particular module.

7. Don’t be intimidated

It’s normal to feel nervous but remember your mentor volunteered because they want to help. They were once in your position, and mentoring gives you a rare chance to learn directly from someone with real‑world experience.

8. Respect the commitment

Your mentor is giving their time, so match that commitment. Turn up to meetings, engage fully, respond promptly, and respect agreed times and boundaries.

9. Be honest and realistic

Be open about your goals, challenges, and progress - mentors can only help if they have the full picture. They can’t do the work for you or guarantee a job, but they can offer insight, feedback, and guidance at every stage.

10. Address issues early

If things aren’t working - perhaps communication drops off or expectations aren’t aligned, acknowledge it early. Sometimes a small reset helps; in other cases, requesting a new mentor is the right step. It is worth noting, however, that we have very few cases of mentors and mentees not getting along.