Mentoring Agreement for Students
Business School Real Estate Team, September 2019
Background
The mentoring programme for the Business School real estate Masters students runs as a living memorial to George Herd, who for 25 years dedicated himself to the teaching and support of real estate students at City University and the Business School, and who passed away in October 2014.
The scheme puts current students in touch with Business School real estate graduates working in the industry (usually in London), who will act as mentors to offer advice and guidance through the year. It is expected that mentors will be available to meet with students, either face to face or remotely, three times through the year. Anything beyond that – more frequent contact, discussion of research projects, perhaps some forms of work-experience – will be entirely at the discretion of the individual mentors, and to be decided by mutual agreement.
This note sets out how the scheme will work, and how we expect students to make use of the mentoring relationship.
Signing up and allocation of mentors
Taking part in the mentoring scheme is up to individual students: it is not a requirement of the course, and will not be taken into account in any assessment.
If we have more students who wish to take part than available mentors, preference will be given to those students without previous full-time jobs.
Students will be allocated mentors in Term 1. We will try take account of broad preferences for the types of mentor students may prefer – say someone who has done or is doing the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence – but please note it is not possible to match students exactly with mentors in specific firms, areas of the industry or lines of work: you should take the view that anyone you talk to in the industry is another learning opportunity.
Students and mentors will be put in touch by providing mutual contact information early in Term 1. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the relationship by mailing with the allocated mentor as soon as possible.
The role of the mentor
Students should always be mindful that their mentors are busy people, who are giving up their time voluntarily. Mentors are expected to make themselves available for three meetings through the year, for general discussions on career paths in the industry, on the experience, skills and qualifications you may be expected to get after graduation, current issues in real estate markets or any topics of mutual interest.
Any additional elements of the relationship – such as more frequent contact; help with ideas, sources, contacts for Business Research Projects; advice on job applications; job-shadowing or work experience – may come about but are not in any way a requirement for the mentors, and students should not expect that they are offered.
In particular, students should neither ask for nor expect:
- Advice or help on questions about the course, courseworks or exams, which should always be directed to your lecturers.
- Support for a job application to the mentor’s firm.
- Introductions or recommendations to other potential employers.
The responsibilities of student mentees
Students’ contacts with their mentors should be always treated as a business relationship, with the corresponding requirements for courtesy, appropriate clothing, and punctuality.
- In advance of meeting, you should do a little research to familiarise yourself with the business your mentor works in.
- To make the most efficient use of your mentor’s time, you should not bombard them with questions and communications every time something occurs to you. Save them up for meetings, or more structured agendas for discussion.
- To arrange meetings always suggest a range of times you are available, not just email to ask to meet.
- Always be on time for meetings, and if you are meeting on business premises always dress to at least business casual conventions.
Any mentor who is unhappy with the conduct of a student will be free to terminate the relationship at any point, and notify us that they have done so.
Sign-up
If you would like to take part, please sign-up before Friday 27th September.
