Become a Mentor / Mentee

At Ashford School, our strength lies in our community. Our mentoring scheme is an initiative designed to help bridge the gap between education and the professional world. 

We are inviting our whole community - Alumni, Parents, Staff, and Friends of the school - to join the scheme to support each other in our careers.

• Current students: our 'Ashford & Beyond' scheme opens opportunities to share your wealth of experience with our ambitious Sixth Form students who are looking ahead to their next steps beyond East Hill.
• Wider community: you can also sign up as a mentor or mentee yourself, and benefit from the support and expertise from our wider community.

Whether it’s a quick CV check or sharing the highs and lows of your career journey, your insights have a real impact.

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Introducing 'Ashford & Beyond'

We are actively recruiting mentor volunteers to provide vital support to our Sixth Form students who are navigating their next steps,

You can choose to help in several key areas:

• Career path stories: share the reality of your industry and how you got there - the highs and the lows!
• Industry expertise: provide "insider" knowledge on specific sectors, what you love and the challenges faced.
• CV and application reviews: help students stand out on paper to give them that all important edge.
• Interview preparation: offer mock interviews and confidence-boosting tips.
• General career guidance: navigate university choices, degree options and apprenticeships - or other channels they migh tnot have thought of.

Empowering our mentors: free training

We want this to be a rewarding experience for everyone involved, so to ensure a successful, impactful, and safe partnership, we offer all mentors FREE support:

1. Free mentoring training: workshops and general guidance on how to mentor effectively.
2. Mentoring resource pack: information, resources and templates to help structure your conversations.
3. Ongoing support: our Careers & Alumni and Development team will be on hand for support.

Who can be a mentor?

There is no "standard" mentor profile. Every career path is unique, and our students benefit from seeing a diverse range of journeys. We are looking for volunteers from all backgrounds, especially those who are:

• Empathetic and patient: you understand the pressures students face in this ever-connected modern world.
• Knowledgeable: you have a will to share your expertise, and your successes and lessons learned along the way. It's important to give context to Life's ups and downs!
• Effective communicators: you are able to provide honest, constructive and inspiring feedback to help our students grow.

Special note: we particularly welcome recruiters or HR professionals who can offer current "behind-the-scenes" advice on current hiring processes!

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How to get involved

Getting started is simple via our community platform. Follow these steps to register your interest:

1. Access settings: log in to the >> community website. Click your profile icon in the top right and select 'My Settings'.
   
    
2. Opt-in: scroll to the 'Mentoring' section and click the cog icon. Here you can opt-in and select your specific areas of expertise.
    
3. Build your profile: update your 'My Profile' section with your work history and industry.
    
4. The perfect match!: you will be matched with students based on their career interests, core values and aspirations.

Note: your details are only visible to registered members of the Ashford School community. You remain in control of how many requests you accept and can opt-out at any time.

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Ready to inspire the next generation?

If you have any questions about the programme, please contact the Alumni and Development Office.