Industry Mentoring Program

Overview

The Industry Mentoring Program (IMP) is an innovative personal development scheme with a primary focus on giving students a chance to gain an in-depth perspective of the financial industry. Whilst our Business students study diverse disciplines such as finance, accounting, economics, marketing and the law, their academics do not teach them the realities of working in the industry they will one day find themselves.

At its core the IMP is a chance for participating students to step ahead of the pack. By meeting someone who is working in the area they are interested in, students will be able to gain valuable insight which can help them make more informed career choices. This program is designed to inspire, motivate and educate students about employment opportunities pushing them to take a proactive approach to pursuing their vocation.

The mentoring experience is intended to be largely informal, with the specifics left to the discretion of the individual student and mentor. It is generally expected that students and their mentors will meet at least once a week.


 

From a Mentee - recounting 2010's Program

I participated in the Industry Mentoring Program in my 2nd year of uni with the plan of getting more involved at uni and learning about the finance industry. Out of all the information sessions, networking events and mentoring programs I’ve been a part of, I can genuinely say that this program was one of the most valuable things I’ve done at uni.

I was very lucky to be mentored by Natasha Holdsworth from Westpac Institutional Bank (WIB). We’d meet up over coffee and she’d share with me her experiences and I’d ask her lots of questions. I thought the type of work my mentor did as a Property Analyst in Corporate & Institutional Banking was interesting and I was able to learn about the different career opportunities at WIB. I also met WIB’s graduate recruiter at the program’s launch event. I organised a meeting with her and talked about the company, my studies and hobbies and she offered me advice on how to improve my resume. After expressing interest in working on Westpac’s trading floor, I was given a quick tour of the floor. I’m now working at Westpac Institutional Bank for 6 months as part of the Finance Co-op program and I actually work on the same floor as my mentor and still catch up with her. My colleague that sits opposite to me was also a mentor last year to one of my friends. I regularly catch up with the graduate recruiter as she now manages my rotations and soon, I’ll be spending a few months working on the trading floor. I think it’s important to make the most of the opportunities you’re given and I was given the chance to build these relationships during the Industry Mentoring Program.

- Isobelle Iglesia (mentee)



From a Mentee - recounting 2010's Program

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the 2010 Peer Industry Mentoring Program. My mentor was a graduate from the Commonwealth Bank in the Corporate Financial Services business unit. My mentor was very helpful in that he provided me with a first-hand experience of what it’s like to work for the bank and the work that is involved within each division. The highlight of the program was the fact that my mentor referred me to HR, making it that much more easier for me during the internship application process. I was eventually offered an internship with the Bank during the 2010-11 summer. As you can imagine, the internship provided me with the opportunity to develop a better understanding of the financial industry as well as allowing me to network with Executive Managers, HR and other interns. For this reason, I would highly recommend this program to all students. It may open up work opportunities as well as give you the platform to network with success-driven individuals.

- Michael Tang (mentee)
 

 

From a Mentee - recounting 2009's Launch

As the end of the third academic week in the semester drew to a close, Level 6 of the Australian School of Business (ASB) held the Industry Mentoring Program launch. Panoramic views of the University, a beautiful sunset, selected canapés and free flowing drinks – these became the core ingredients for an eventful start to the program.

The selected mentees for the program were gathered to be finally introduced to their mentors as well as network with selected member from the ASB faculty. A round of Trivia provide an ice-breaker and Table 5 (mine) made a solid attempt with a possible 12/20 correct (A high... pass?). The winners were each tied at 18/20 from Tables 1 and 6 who were then forced into a playoff with a best-of-three question game. After uncovering that Table 6 was exploiting the system with underhanded tactic involving iPhones and Blackberries (after all what is a BSOC event without a touch of controversy?), Table 1 were declared the final victors!

With the much more light-hearted atmosphere Trivia mentees and mentors paired off to exchange details and the Industry Mentoring Program was off to a start. Overall, the night was a success and the Career’s team from the UNSW Business Society should be applauded for organizing such a memorable night.

- Nicholas Leung (mentee)
Published September 2009 Edition of Comunieco.



From a Mentor - recounting 2008's Program

I participated in the 2008 industry mentoring program as a mentor to Jack after completing the 2007 Financial Markets Graduate Program at Westpac Institutional Bank (WIB). Since completing my graduate program, I now work as a trader in WIB, trading interest rates in 5 countries and 8 different currencies.


I agreed to act as a mentor for the program as it is something I would have found useful when I was considering what steps to take from making the transition from uni to the workforce. I believe it would have provided me with insight into a career I was interested in and what it would have been like on a day to day basis from someone who was recently at uni and has gone through situations I would be experiencing shortly.

I enjoyed being a mentor to Jack as I was able to pass on my experiences in my current role and also what the reality of my job is, in what has been a volatile introduction to trading for WIB during the current global economic events. We also discussed the difference between the fundamental theories that we learnt at university to the reality of trading these markets on a daily basis. I was also happy to take part in this program as I am the beneficiary of mentoring programs here at WIB that I find very helpful. I was also happy to take part in this program as I am the beneficiary of mentoring programs here at WIB that I find very helpful.

- Bryan Duignan, Westpac Institutional bank
 

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