Jess and Serena's Mentoring Story

In her final year at the Business School, Jess was keen to get a better understanding of practical communications planning whilst completing a placement, so she connected with Sussex alumna, Serena Mitchell (ENGAM 1987) through Sussex Connect.

Before I looked for a mentor, I decided that I wanted to focus on learning how to plan communications, then I found Serena on Sussex Connect. Her background is in Communications in the UK Civil Service Scheme and I knew she would have lots of experience and be able to help me.

At the beginning of my mentoring, I didn't really know exactly what to expect. What was really helpful was that in our first meeting, we discussed what I really wanted to get out of being mentored by her, as well as the frequency and length of our meetings. Serena was then able to show me various tools to help with the planning process, which was really exciting because she taught be how to put together a comprehensive and solid comms plan. The plan really helped, I was really proud of it and it stirred some interest in the team I was assisting, who then wanted to use my plan and asked me to present to them, which was a massive compliment! This is also something that I'll be able to talk about in future interviews. 

So, to anyone considering taking part in Sussex Connect mentoring, I would say - go for it! You will gain some invaluable experience and open yourself up to a completely new network of connections and opportunities. It is also great for your CV and, who knows, maybe you will find you would also be a great mentor to others!