Alumni Mentoring

Inspire and guide the next generation of professionals

The Burgmann Alumni & Friends Mentoring Program (BAM) aims to connect Burgmann residents with mentors from our esteemed Alumni and Friends Community who share their field of interest.

Through this unique initiative, mentors inspire and guide the next generation of professionals, providing invaluable insights into future career options and opportunities, and assisting with their movement into their chosen professional field. The BAM program currently pairs around 100 alumni mentors with Burgmann residents, across a variety of disciplines, with the program taking place in the second semester of each year.

Individual residents are introduced to their mentors via email and are encouraged to contact their mentor with a view to participating in two informal meetings or skype sessions between August and November within the same year. Additionally, the College hosts an annual mentor/mentee networking event.

For more information about the program, download our BAM Brochure.

Program Information

Mentoring programs are designed to enable the smooth transition from one educational or career context to another. The Burgmann College program seeks to provide senior students with opportunities to learn about future career options and assist with their movement into their chosen professional fields.

Objectives

The specific objectives of the program are to:

• Enable mentees to acquire knowledge about particular career and work environments, including organisational cultures and expectations.
• Provide mentees with the opportunities to develop new personal and professional skills;
• Improve the future employment options for mentees;
• Enable networking activities for both mentees and mentors, and
• Enhance the connections between the College and professional/business individuals and organisations.

The mentoring program includes up to 100 Burgmann College residents and the matching of these residents with suitable mentors. Some mentors may be asked to take more than one mentee.

Requirements of Mentees

It is expected that the mentee, once informed of their mentor, will initiate and maintain the relationship and will commit to a series of tasks. These include:

• Identifying the purpose of the mentoring relationship and the desired outcomes.
• Making contact with the mentor, discussing the proposed outcomes outlined in the initial expression of interest form and establishing a meeting schedule. (It is expected that there will be at least two meetings per semester).
• Attending mentoring program functions.
• Attending review meetings with other mentees to discuss progress, insights, issues, etc. as requested.
• Informing the Deputy Principal of any issues that need addressing outside the review process.
• Completing the evaluation of the program on its conclusion.

Requests of Mentors

The College recognises that mentors provide their time and expertise free of charge and that mentees need to be conscious of this in their negotiations with their mentors. However, in expressing a willingness to be involved in the program, it is hoped that mentors will:

• Attend a BAM program function if possible – the mentoring dinner or other event.
• Agree to meet with the mentee at least twice, note the mentee’s proposed outcomes, and negotiate with them on their (possible) achievement.
• Provide guidance to the mentee(s) as appropriate;
• Inform the Deputy Principal of any matters of concern;
• Provide the College with feedback on their mentoring relationship(s) and the Program at its conclusion.