Full-time Volunteer Mentor Review
at City Year UK
Placement (10 Months+)
Voluntary
London
Review Submitted: November 2021
Overall Rating
4.8 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
4.8/5
-
Skills Development
4.5/5
-
Support and Guidance
5/5
-
Company Culture
4.5/5
-
Overall Experience
5/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
As a full-time volunteer mentor, I was required to support year 11 students within classrooms Mon-Thurs and on a 1-1 group basis. I also carried out break duty at break time whilst running year 11 study club at lunch and after school. As a year 11 mentor, I also helped students with sixth form/college applications and interviews. The students often had SEN/Mental Health and Behaviour issues & therefore, required extra educational/emotional support.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
During my time at school, we were given the opportunity to explore different roles, for example- I was given the opportunity to work with the school’s counselling team which expanded some of my responsibilities. I was also given the opportunity to deliver my own personalised sessions after school which allowed me to take full responsibility of study club.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
I developed my public speaking skills as I feel a lot more confident speaking to a large audience in a variety of settings. I am able to manage my time more wisely as a result of working alongside completing placement year of university. I feel confident to use my own initiative when making decisions as a result of running my own club/sessions outside of lesson time. I also learnt how to develop my CV.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
4/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
5/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
My Impact Officer Fateha Begum always went above and beyond when supporting us in schools and on Fridays. She constantly guided us when we needed extra support with tasks we were not familiar with or found difficult. She also provided us with a lot of emotional support when days became more difficult as I felt comfortable going to her when I felt stressed.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
5/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
4/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
Staff were really friendly and a joy to be around. I felt like I could confide in them whenever needed. I have made lifelong friends with the people I worked with and genuinely believe it was due to the atmosphere we were provided with in the office.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
5/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
5/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
5/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
At times days were a struggle, however, my team and the staff at City Year made it an amazing experience. I overall enjoyed my time working in the office and in school as I believe I have learnt skills I could use in the future. Volunteering is a humbling experience as it opened my eyes to a lot of things we often take for granted. I’ve made friends for life!
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
4/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at City Year UK
5/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend City Year UK to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to City Year UK
Be open minded when going into schools. Rely on your team and staff for support as days will become a struggle, however, it is honestly such a rewarding and worthwhile experience. Be open to taking on new roles and responsibilities as it will allow you to develop new skills you can use in the future.
