June/July/August
- June - Applications Open
- July/August - Mentor information sessions
DCU Alumni
DCU Career Mentoring Programme
Apply now for the 2025/2026 DCU Career Mentoring Programme
Welcome
Through the DCU Career Mentoring programme our graduates give back to Dublin City University volunteering time, experience and expertise to mentor a second-year student at a crucial stage of their studies.
The DCU Career Mentoring programme, formerly known as the DCU Structured Mentorship Programme, won the prestigious IITD National Training Award for Excellence in Coaching and Mentoring for 2018 and was shortlisted as a finalist in 2020 and 2021. It is a joint initiative, co-organised by the Alumni Office and the Careers Service.
The programme runs for six-months between November and April and pairs second-year students with alumni mentors for the purpose of career and professional development.
Alumni and students are matched based on their areas of professional expertise, DCU course and areas of interest. Alumni mentors are asked, if possible, to provide their student mentee with a work-shadowing day as part of the programme.
The programme remains a key initiative for the Alumni Office and continues to grow each year; 193 Mentor and Mentees were matched in 2024, a 6% increase on matched mentors and mentees in 2023.
Below you will find more details including the role of the mentor, the commitment we ask of you and a timeline of the programme.
Interested in mentoring a DCU student as part of the 2025-2026 Mentorship Programme?
Submissions for 2025/2026 are now open!
To receive details of other volunteering opportunities from the Alumni Office or to share a query, update your details on the DCU Keep in Touch campaign or email alumni@dcu.ie
The role of the mentor is to contribute to the transformative student experience at DCU by assisting the development of a second year student. Through the Graduate to Student Mentorship Programme our graduates give back to Dublin City University through time, experience and expertise. In return, the programme provides a range of benefits that can be captured on the Mentor’s CV.
To gain further insight into being a Mentor and to read Frequently Asked Questions, click here
- Increase your confidence and motivation
- Develop leadership and management qualities
- Engage in a volunteering opportunity, valued by employers
- Benefit from a sense of fulfilment and personal growth
- Reverse mentoring from student
- Enhance your CV
Students and mentors make contact based on their own schedules and timetables. Time commitments for the programme are very flexible. As a general rule, we would ask graduates to make contact with their mentee twice a month for the duration of the programme (October to April).
The programme involves five main events / activities. Mentors are not required to attend all events, but we would ask both mentors and mentees to attend the opening ceremony/training session and the closing ceremony.
We are aware that it is not always possible for alumni to provide a work-shadowing day. In this circumstance, we would ask graduates to organise an extended session with their student mentee to focus on career progression, interview or CV skills, presentation skills or similar.
Every year we celebrate our Mentors. In 2019 we created Awards for both Mentee and Mentor of the Year. Mentees nominate their mentor for the award and the winner is recognised at our closing ceremony and with a profile in the DCU Alumni ‘Voices’ Magazine.
- New Mentor Webinar, September 2024 (date tbc)
- Opening Ceremony and Mentor Networking, Nov 2024
- Mentor Monthly Peer Support, Nov 2024
We are delighted to share an inspirational video from DCU alumna Jeannine Hillen, former Head of EMEA Strategy & Risk Partnerships at Stripe and graduate of BA International Marketing & Languages (French & Spanish), sharing her valuable mentoring experience in the clip below!
The 2025 Mentor of the Year was Laura Miskella, Masters in Special Educational Needs, 2020.
2025/2026 Career Mentoring Programme Schedule
September/October
- September 1 - Applications close
- Late September - Matching Process: Mentor/ Mentee matching selection via the portal and manual matching where necessary
- Early to mid October - First Mentor/ Mentee introductory email sent by the Alumni Office
- Late Oct - Remaining Mentor/ Mentee introductory email sent by the Alumni Office
- Mentor/Mentee meetings to take place once intro email has been sent
November
- Mentor Networking event on Glasnevin Campus
- Career Mentoring Opening event
- First Mentor Monthly Meet-up
December/ January/ February
- December - Mentor Monthly Meetup
- January - Mentor event
- January - Mentor Monthly Meetup
- February - Work Shadow Day
- February - Mentor Monthly Meetup
March/April
- Nominations Open for Mentor and Mentee of the Year Awards
- Mentor pre-ceremony event on Glasnevin Campus
- DCU Career Mentoring Closing Ceremony
- Mentor and Mentee of the Year Presentations