Career mentoring in action: From conversations to a career kickstart

Alumna Emma Barlow (BA 2009) is Head of Content at Northstar, a boutique content agency in London. In 2025, she took part in the University’s mentoring programme and was matched with fellow English Literature student Erin Shiels (English Literature 2023-). Emma and Erin quickly connected and what began as a series of online mentoring sessions, soon led to an internship, giving Erin the chance to gain hands-on experience.

Emma had been inspired to join the mentoring programme after spotting it in her alumni newsletter. Having benefited from informal mentoring herself earlier in her career, she saw it as a way to give something back – and to reconnect with her Cardiff roots.

“I’ve had a couple of people in my life who have been mentors to me (whether they realised it or not!), and I’ve reached a stage now where I feel I have some experience and knowledge to share.”

The matching process was straightforward and designed to connect mentors and mentees with shared interests and compatible goals.

“I wrote a short paragraph about myself and my work and was matched with Erin – it turned out to be a fantastic pairing. We had a great time getting to know each other over the course of five online sessions, and I was really pleased to be able to provide some insight into the worlds of content marketing, advertising and journalism.”

As their mentoring relationship developed, Emma realised how valuable the experience was on both sides. It offered a chance to reflect on her own career journey while supporting a student taking their first professional steps.

“It’s only a few hours out of your life, and I found it rewarding – even gratifying – to realise how far I have come in my career, as well as being helpful to the next generation of Cardiff University alumni entering the workplace.”

For Erin, the mentoring experience came at just the right time. Balancing her degree with thoughts about what might come next, she was looking for guidance and a clearer sense of direction. When she learned about the mentoring programme through her University Careers Advisor, she decided to give it a try.

“I get asked all the time is ‘what are you planning on doing after University?’, and I have never known how to answer. When second year rolled around and I still hadn’t figured it out yet, I started looking through the University resources to get some advice.”

After being matched with Emma, Erin quickly found that the mentoring experience gave her confidence and clarity about her future.

“Mentoring with Emma really helped set me at ease from worrying about the future. I met someone who had been on the same journey as me, and figured it all out just like I will.”

When the mentoring programme came to an end, Emma saw an opportunity to take things a step further.

“After several online sessions with Erin, it became clear we’d built a good relationship, and I’d shared most of what I could about my work and the industry. I knew that work experience would be valuable – as it had been for me – and that Erin would fit in perfectly at Northstar. Thankfully, my wonderful directors agreed.”

The internship built on the things they’d discussed during their mentoring sessions and gave Erin the opportunity to see first-hand how the industry works.

“The internship was an amazing opportunity for me to actually see everything Emma had been talking to me about, as well as getting myself some serious hands-on experience. Hopefully, the skills I have learned here will help me progress in my career, as well as just getting me used to an office environment rather than classrooms and lecture halls.”

Erin now feels much more prepared for life after university, and grateful for the encouragement and support she’s received through the programme.

“I would definitely recommend to other students to take part in the career mentoring programme, it has been so wonderful for me and definitely put me at ease with my stresses about future careers. Also, it’s super easy to do and flexible around your studies – you and your mentor pick all your call times.”

Emma is just one of hundreds of alumni who have helped support current Cardiff students through mentoring and internships.

The University’s Student Futures Work Experience team are looking for employers who would be interested in supporting students in future. Find out more about the support they can offer.

You can also connect with the Work Experience team on LinkedIn for regular updates on all of their schemes and opportunities.