Group photo of the 2026 mentor and mentees from the Careers Mentoring Programme

Find out more and contact us

If you have any questions, would like to find out more about the scheme or you are an upcoming student who would like to become a mentee, please email Ryan and Mark at mentoring.careers@plymouth.ac.uk.
Join our career mentoring programme, which offers a unique opportunity to gain personalised information and advice from someone with real-world experience in your chosen field. By participating, you can develop a clearer sense of direction, learn valuable industry-specific skills, and receive advice on navigating challenges you might face in your career journey. Additionally, the connections made through mentoring can open doors to networking opportunities, internships, and even future job prospects. This is a chance to accelerate your personal and professional growth, making the transition from student to professional smoother and more informed.

Why should you take part and what could be covered? 

Mentors can help you gain unique insights into your sector/s of interest, learn about networking opportunities, increase your skills and even undertake mock interviews, giving you a competitive advantage in the job market. Support could include: 
  • CV writing/help
  • cover letters and applications
  • networking and introducing contacts
  • insight into industry
  • personal development
  • practice interviews
  • top tips for your sector
On completion of the programme, you will receive a Career mentoring programme digital badge, showcasing your commitment to your personal and career development. Learn more about the benefits of digital badging.

Who can apply?

The Careers Mentoring Programme is open to all students in undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and master's courses, as well as recent graduates. 
Priority matching will be given to students who fall under the following groups, in line with the University’s Access Participation Plan Strategic statement: care leavers, students with disabilities, mature students, black and ethnic minority students, and those from low-participation neighbourhoods, to ensure we offer a comprehensive and supportive package. Secondary matching will then to go all other applicants who have not been on the programme before. 
Mentees from the Careers Mentoring Programme smiling at a celebration event
 
 

Programme timeline

Meet your Mentor
Find it hard to break the ice? We hold some “Meet your Mentor” events for each strand – these are held both on campus and online and give mentoring pairs the chance to meet each other with the mentoring team on hand for guidance... we also provide tea/coffee and biscuits! 
Meet your Mentor – drop in sessions
These are optional facilitated sessions which are hosted by the mentoring team who are on hand to answer any questions you or your mentor may have. These will be held in the Student Hub inside the Charles Seale Hayne Library and are a great way to meet up with your mentor in a familiar setting.
Celebration Event
Each year we recognise the achievements of mentoring pairs across all of our programmes. We all come together and share in success stories and have a bit of fun (and some cake!). These celebration events are held on campus.

Semester 1

Applications close: 23 October 2026

Semester 2

Applications close: 22 January 2027

Student feedback

Benefits of joining the Careers Mentoring Programme and becoming a mentee

Find out about the benefits of joining the Careers Mentoring Programme and working with a professional in industry to explore your career goals and personal development.

Apply now and contact us

We look forward to welcoming you as part of the mentoring programme.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our mentoring program, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can email Ryan and Mark at mentoring.careers@plymouth.ac.uk.
Apply to become a mentee
Mark Beresford and Ryan Walters, Careers Service
Ryan and Mark, from the careers team, stood side by side in the Student Hub
 
 
 
 
Together we mentor graphic for careers mentoring 

Our supporters

Thank you to these amazing businesses whose staff have kindly given up some of their time as mentors: 

4D Architects Studio . A. Older Safety Solutions Ltd . A.B. Marine and Offshore Surveys Consultancy Limited . AAA Foundation . Aban Offshore Limited . ABC Service . Accenture South Africa . Accredible . Acquia . AGEISS Inc . Aim Big Ltd . ALSTOM . Ansible Motion . Applied Automation . ARAG Law . Arts University Plymouth . Babcock International . BAE Systems Saudi Arabia . Bailey Partnership . Bank of America . Barnes Aerospace . Bauer Media Group . Blanchards Bailey LLP . BluGreens . BMT . Bonnet University College . Bournemouth University . BP Mauritania . Breakwater Productions . Brent Council . Bridgeway Consulting Limited . Bright Solicitors . Bristol Port Company . Bupa Dental Care . Cadence Design Systems Ltd . Calm Nest Collective . Cameron Mills Group . Capgemini Invent . Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust . CINEC Campus . Civil Service . Compass Group UK & IESS . Cormac . Cornwall Council . Cornwall Mining Consultants . Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation . Costain Group PLC . Crowne Plaza Plymouth . Cypress Energy Company Ltd . Dartmoor Zoological Society . Data & AI Literacy Academy . Dazzle Pictures . Department for Environment . Food and Rural Affairs . Devon Air Ambulance . Devon and Cornwall Police . Devon County Council . Devon Partnership NHS Trust . Ecodetect . Eddystone Media . Elevate Offshore . Eljay Energy Ltd . Emerald Group . Enterprise Rent-A-Car . Environment Agency . Eurofins Biomnis Ireland . European Environment Agency . Expert Insights Tech Ltd . Farnfields LLP . Feather&Fossil Interior Design . First Light . Firstelement Exploration . Florcon Ltd . Formula 1 . Foster + Freeman . Foster + Partners . Four31 Digital . Fugro GB Ltd . GA Solicitors . Gen3 . Global Environmental . Ground and Water Limited . Hafren Ousque Associates . Hampshire County Council . Hart Marine Consultants Ltd . Heidelberg Materials . Hemsley Fraser . Hidden Hearing . Hiyield . Homewell Plus . Hulley & Kirkwood . Human Solutions Ltd . IGT1 . IMDb . Inclusive Employers . Institute and Faculty of Actuaries . Jacobs . James Andrew Residential Ltd . Jeremiah’s Journey . JISC . JTI . Kaiyo Consulting . Karnataka College Group of Institutions . Kendall Kingscott . Kensa Health Group . Kier Utilities . Kirkland & Ellis International LLP . Learning Coach Association . LH Consulting Solutions Ltd . LHC Designs . Lockton . M Group Highways . Marine Biological Association . MBA Consulting . Met Office . Methodist Homes MHA . Microsoft . Mid Devon District Council . Ministry of Housing and Land Planning . Miranda Salmon . Monday.com . Monumental . Mott MacDonald . National Academy of Students’ Achievement Awards Ghana . Nash & Co . National Trust . NEOM . NESC . NHS . NIAB . North Star Consultancy . Northern Marine . NOV . Novartis Pharmaceuticals . Odyssey Group . Pembrokeshire County Council . Pernixia . Plymouth Arena . Plymouth City Council . Plymouth Community Homes . Prime Consulting Engineers Ltd . Primus Passus Consulting Limited . Profound . PTG Workholding . Queen’s University Kingston Ontario . Quotient Sciences . RAISE Education Trust . Reading Borough Council . Redbay . Redmace Talent . RFS Marketing & Communications Ltd . Ridge & Partner LLP . RMIT University . Royal Aeronautical Society . Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust . Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust . Royal Navy . Royal Veterinary College . Royal Zoological Society of Scotland . Sahara MEP Engineering Ltd . Salto Systems . SAS Software . Schneider Electric . SDM Housing Software Ltd . SeaWorks Training & Consulting . Slough Borough Council . Sonardyne Training . South Staffs Water . State Bank of Pakistan . State Street Corporation . Step Teachers . Stone King LLP . Succession Wealth . Sydney Water . Talbots Law . Tellus Education Group . Thales . The Co-Operative Bank PLC . The Food Factory . The Shark Trust . The Walker Agency . Thessaloniki Port Authority . Tradebyte Software Ltd . Turner & Townsend . UCSP Ltd . United Kingdom Hydrographic Office . University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust . University of Exeter . University of Kent . University of Oxford . University of Plymouth . University of Texas (Austin) . UTEC . Veolia . Walker Crips . Walter C. Parson Funeral Directors . Wansbroughs LLP . West of England Insurance Services . Westcountry Rivers Trust . Wildanet Ltd . Wilson Partners . Wolferstans Solicitors . YTL Infrastructure . Zanzibar Multipurpose Terminal