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Mentoring is a chance to give back to the Imperial community while gaining valuable skills and insights yourself.

As a mentor, you can:

• Share your career journey and professional expertise with motivated ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½
• Develop mentoring and coaching skills that strengthen your leadership and people-management toolkit
• Gain fresh perspectives from the next generation of innovators
• Experience the satisfaction of helping ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ grow in confidence and achieve their ambitions.
• Stay connected with Imperial and promote your sector or organisation directly to talented ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½.

For your organisation, mentoring can:

• Raise your organisation's profile among high-calibre Imperial ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½
• Showcase your industry and workplace culture
• Support diversity and inclusion by helping ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ from underrepresented groups access professional networks
• Strengthen your brand as an employer of choice for Imperial graduates

As a mentor, your role is to support and encourage current Imperial ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ as they navigate career decisions and prepare for life after university.

We are particularly seeking alumni who completed their studies at Imperial within the past 20 years, so ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ can benefit from up-to-date insights into entering the graduate labour market and progressing through early-to-mid career stages.

Ways you might support a mentee include:

• Building confidence and networking skills
• Providing insights into graduate career opportunities and sector trends
• Offering advice on standing out and making the most of their time at university
• Giving feedback on CVs and supporting with interview skills and preparation 
• Helping them plan their next steps in their career journey

What level of commitment is expected as a mentor?

The standard commitment from a Mentor will be four points of engagement. These engagements can be a combination of in-person or online meetings lasting approximately 1 hour each. The Mentee is expected to be responsible for organising these meetings and reporting their completion of each meeting to the Careers Team via Pathways. 

What support is available as a mentor?

All Mentors are provided with a 'Guide to Mentoring' covering responsibilities, expectations and practical mentoring tips. You will also be invited to an induction event with the Careers Service, providing additional training on coaching skills, goal setting, and building positive mentor/mentee relationships.  

Our matching process is designed to connect ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ with mentors whose background and expertise align with their career interests.

Register – complete a short online form about your education, current role, and areas where you can offer support.

Profile shared – your anonymised profile is added to a secure mentor directory, available only to Imperial ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. Please view the Alumni Mentor Directory Example. 

Student applications – ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ select their top three preferred mentor profiles and explain their motivation to want to be matched to each profile.

Matching – the Careers Service reviews applications and pairs ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ with mentors based on the student's preferences and available mentor places. Priority is given to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ from underrepresented groups if demand is high.

Getting started – if successfully matched, you’ll be invited to a short induction before connecting with your mentee(s) to begin your mentorship. 

Mentor registrations open in August of each year via an online application form. If you are interested in volunteering as a mentor in the 2026/27 scheme, please email mentoring@imperial.ac.uk. 

Prefer something more flexible? You can also volunteer your time and expertise through our Ask an Alum programme, which connects ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ to alumni for one-off career insights. Full details on how to register can be found on our Ask an Alum webpage. 

If you have any questions about acting as a mentor or participating in either of the above schemes, please contact mentoring@imperial.ac.uk.