DCU Career Mentoring Programme

Applications for the 2026/2027 DCU Career Mentoring Programme are now open.

Apply here!

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.

The 2026 Mentor of the Year was Raquel Hanley, Masters in Strategic Learning and Development, 2024.

Q&A with 2026 Mentor of the Year, Raquel Hanley

1. What originally made you sign up to become a mentor? 

   I signed up because I wanted to be the person I wish I had met when I was younger.

   Like many people starting out, I spent a lot of time trying to figure things out on my own. There were
   moments of uncertainty, self-doubt and questioning whether I was good enough. The guidance I
   eventually received from mentors throughout my career had a profound impact on me, but it was
   something I had to actively seek out. It wasn't something that was readily available.

   When I learned about the DCU Mentorship Programme, I immediately saw an opportunity to give
   back in a meaningful way. Not because I had all the answers, but because I understood what it feels
   like to be standing at the beginning of a journey, trying to find your place in the world.

   For me, mentoring was never about career advice alone. It was about helping someone recognise
   their own potential. It was about listening, encouraging, sharing experiences and, hopefully, helping a student see in themselves what they may not yet see on their own.

   If I could help one person feel more confident, more capable, and more optimistic about their future
   than they did before we met, then I knew it would be worth every minute.

2. How has the mentorship programme supported your personal and/or professional growth?

   One of the most unexpected gifts of this programme was how much it made me reflect on my own
   journey.

   As mentors, we often focus on what we can offer others, but throughout this experience I found myself
   revisiting the lessons, challenges and opportunities that shaped me into the person I am today. It
   reminded me of the people who believed in me when I needed it most and reinforced the importance
   of paying that forward.

   Professionally, it strengthened my ability to listen with intention, communicate with empathy and lead
   through encouragement rather than instruction. Personally, it reminded me that growth never stops.
   Every conversation with my mentee gave me a fresh perspective and challenged me to think
   differently.

   Perhaps most importantly, it reminded me that success is not measured solely by personal
   achievements. Some of the most meaningful moments in life come from helping someone else
   discover what they are capable of becoming.

3. What did Mentor of the Year mean to you?

   Receiving Mentor of the Year was one of the most humbling moments of my professional life.

   When I first joined the programme, recognition was never something I considered. My focus was
   entirely on creating a positive experience for my mentee and ensuring they gained something
   meaningful from our time together.

   That's why receiving this award was so emotional.

   What it represents to me isn't an individual achievement. It represents connection. It represents trust.
   It represents the honest conversations, the shared experiences, the moments of uncertainty that
   became moments of confidence, and the privilege of being invited into a small but important chapter
   of someone else's story.

   More than anything, it reinforced something I have always believed: that people can achieve
   incredible things when someone believes in them. 

   If our conversations helped my mentee feel more confident in his abilities, more ambitious about his
   future or more willing to take chances on himself, then that is worth far more.

   The award is an honour I will always treasure, however the real reward was witnessing growth in
   another person and knowing, in some small way, I was able to contribute to it.

4. Did you feel supported by the Alumni Office during your time as a mentor?

   Without question, yes.

   From the very beginning, the Alumni Office created an environment where mentors and mentees
   could thrive. The programme was thoughtfully organised; communication was excellent and there was always a sense that support was available whenever needed.

   What impressed me most was the genuine passion behind the programme. It never felt like an
   administrative exercise; it felt like a community of people who truly care about creating meaningful
   opportunities for students and alumni to connect.

   A great mentoring relationship may happen between two people, but programmes like this only
   succeed because of the people working tirelessly behind the scenes to make them possible. The
   Alumni Office should be incredibly proud of what they have created.

5. What was your main takeaway from the mentorship programme?

   My biggest takeaway is that belief can be transformational.

   Many students arrive at the edge of their careers carrying enormous potential but also carrying
   uncertainty. They are often far more capable than they realise.

   Sometimes they don't need someone to tell them what to do. They need someone to listen. Someone
   to challenge them. Someone to encourage them. Someone to help them see themselves through a
   different lens.

   Throughout this journey, I was reminded that mentoring isn't about having all the answers. It's about helping someone find the confidence to discover their own.

   Watching my mentee grow in confidence, become more assured in his decisions and begin to
   recognise his own strengths was incredibly rewarding. It reinforced my belief that a few conversations,
   genuine encouragement and authentic support can have a lasting impact on a person's life.

6. Why do you think other Alumni should take part in this mentorship programme?

   Because it has the power to change lives, both the mentee's and your own.

   As alumni, we carry years of experience, lessons learned, successes and setbacks. What feels
   ordinary to us can be invaluable to someone standing where we once stood.

   Every graduate remembers a time when they needed more guidance, greater clarity or simply
   reassurance that they were on the right path. This programme gives us the chance to offer exactly
   that.

   What makes the DCU Mentorship Programme particularly special is that it gives students access to
   something many of us didn't have when we were starting out. They don't have to navigate everything alone. They have the opportunity to learn from people who have walked the path before them, who
   understand the challenges and who genuinely want to see them succeed.

   I genuinely believe every student should be eager to participate because the value is immeasurable.

   And for alumni, I would say this: don't underestimate the difference you can make. You may join
   thinking you are giving your time, knowledge and experience. What you will discover is that you
   receive something equally valuable in return, a renewed sense of purpose, perspective and
   connection.

   Mentoring reminds us of where we came from, why we started and how powerful it can be when one
   person chooses to invest in another.