Mentoring and Careers

Networking with alumni is a fantastic opportunity to gain careers advice, build connections, and find internship and job opportunities. However, as with any activity that involves meeting people you do not know, it is important to be mindful of your safety and wellbeing. Below are some guidelines to ensure that you have a safe and positive mentoring experience.

1. Communicate in the first instance by email using your CRSid email address or via LinkHall. Please keep instant messaging to professional platforms e.g. LinkedIn, LinkHall or Teams, and keep video messaging to email-based platforms e.g. Teams or Zoom rather than FaceTime or WhatsApp.
2. It’s OK to videocall! If you would feel more comfortable talking online, rather than meeting in person, it is perfectly acceptable to arrange a call or simply email. Don’t go to a face-to-face meeting if you feel pressured or uncomfortable.
3. If you arrange to meet your mentor in person, meet in a public place and tell someone where you are going. Many business meetings are conducted in cafes or restaurants. If your mentor is pushing to meet with you in a private location, treat this as a red flag and report your concerns.
4. Be mindful of your own personal safety. Minimise travelling at night or late afternoon in winter times. Have a secure route e.g. public transport and be mindful of consuming alcohol.
5. Don’t give out any personal details you are not comfortable sharing. Remember that it is your choice to share personal details. You are not obliged to share any contact details with your mentor that you do not want to. To prevent unintentional sharing of personal details, avoid connecting on non-professional social media platforms e.g. Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter).
6. You do not have to ‘pay your mentor back’. Mentors are offering their time and advice free of charge. If your mentor is asking for a return payment or favour from you, treat this as a red flag and report your concerns.
7. No concern is too small. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, or would like advice, please speak to a member of the Wellbeing team, your Tutor or the Alumni and Development Office. They are here to provide you with advice and support, no matter the situation. Any concerns will be treated confidentially and not passed on to your mentor. If the College is concerned about the behaviour of a mentor, they will be removed from the mentoring scheme. The student complaints policy can be found on the College Policies webpage.

Where to go for support

For all-round support and guidance: The Alumni and Development Office linkhall@trinhall.cam.ac.uk, and/or your Tutor.

To report a concern: Wellbeing Team wellbeing@trinhall.cam.ac.uk, your Tutor or Director of Studies, Senior Tutor senior-tutor@trinhall.cam.ac.uk, and/or the Alumni and Development Office linkhall@trinhall.cam.ac.uk.

The Trinity Hall Careers Network is a fantastic opportunity to build connections between our student and alumni community and for alumni to offer their support to the College through volunteering. However, as with any activity that involves meeting people you do not know, it is important to be mindful of everyone’s safety and wellbeing. Below are some guidelines to ensure that you and your mentee have a safe and positive experience.

1. Your mentee should communicate with you in the first instance, by email or via LinkHall. Please keep instant messaging to professional platforms e.g. LinkedIn, LinkHall or Teams, and keep video messaging to email based platforms e.g. Teams or Zoom rather than FaceTime or WhatsApp.
2. It’s OK to videocall! If you would feel more comfortable talking online, or if a face-to-face meeting is simply not convenient, then a videocall or phone call is perfectly acceptable.
3. If you arrange to meet your mentee in person, meet in a public place or at your place of business.

Please do not invite them to your home.

4. Don’t give out any personal details you are not comfortable sharing. You are not obliged to share any contact details with your mentee that you do not want to. To prevent unintentional sharing of personal details, avoid connecting on non-professional social media platforms e.g. Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter).
5. Mentors are not intended to act as tutors or welfare officers – if a mentor has any concerns about a mentee this should be communicated to the Alumni & Development Team on linkhall@trinhall.cam.ac.uk, who will then contact their Tutor directly.
6. No concern is too small. If at any point you are concerned that the programme does not meet your expectations or you would like some advice, please speak to a member of the Alumni and Development Office. We are here to ensure the careers network provides a positive experience for everyone involved.

Where to go for support

For all-round support and guidance: The Alumni and Development Office linkhall@trinhall.cam.ac.uk.
To report a concern: Alumni and Development Office linkhall@trinhall.cam.ac.uk, and/or Senior Tutor senior-tutor@trinhall.cam.ac.uk.