UCL graduate Kate Harford told us how volunteering as an alumni mentor contributed to her own professional development.

I recently got involved in alumni mentoring as part of the Discover Alumni Mentoring Online event on the Alumni Online Community (AOC) which invited current students, especially first year students, to engage with the digital alumni community and use it to reach out to alumni mentors for help.
I wasn't sure if students would be interested in my work and experiences, but I found that they are genuinely curious about all the options available after graduation and keen to learn.
My experience at UCL was really positive; I met people who have been friends and mentors, and learned skills within and beyond my academic work that have helped me to progress in my career and voluntary work ever since.
Digital volunteering is flexible but still allows the opportunity to engage with students and improve their student experience. I have helped students to work on tailoring CVs for specific jobs, shared my experience of competing my degree whilst living with severe mental illness, and signposted to many student services.
When you work in Higher Education it’s easy to take for granted the services and support that are available but for a student it can be overwhelming and difficult to know what's available and what they need. It's harder again if you're an international or disabled student, and sometimes all you need is for someone to share what's available.
Alumni mentoring is a great way to stay connected with UCL and pay your good experiences forward. I'd recommend it to anyone, you certainly have something to offer.
Connect with UCL students and peers via the Alumni Online Community (AOC), or find out more about digital volunteering opportunities on our Volunteer Now page.
Photo © Steve Cross, www.scienceshowoff.org