Intercultural Career Mentoring Program

Intercultural Career Mentoring Program

Description

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A GLOBAL CAREER IN ENGINEERING AND IT?

The Intercultural Career Mentoring Program is aimed at students who are interested in gaining global perspectives on their future career paths. Following a very successful pilot program in 2023, we are once again offering this bespoke program in 2024.

For graduates, even with acquired degrees and technical skills, it is often local knowledge of workplaces and lack of intercultural experience that present barriers to employment. This applies as much to Australian students seeking work in international companies, here or abroad, as it does to international students graduating and hoping to join the Australian workforce.

This group mentoring program, allows students to connect and network in small groups, with a cross section of Engineering & IT professionals, from a range of discipline areas and cultural backgrounds. Participants will be assigned to a group with a diverse range of fellow students and mentors from industry who have received detailed cross-cultural training specific to the professional context of the engineering and IT sectors.

Benefits

In today’s globalised workplace, organisations regularly point out the need for globally transferable skills and knowledge, strong communication skills, adaptability, and problem-solving in culturally diverse environments. These are key skills for anyone planning for a career with a global dimension.

Through the Intercultural Career Mentoring Program, students will be exposed to essential intercultural communications and interactions skills, which will be co-designed by alumni, industry partners, and academics.

Participating in the Intercultural Career Program is an opportunity to:

  • Engage in a rigorous training to develop your skills in local and global cultural and career knowledge
  • Gain confidence and career direction whilst building networks with like-minded peers and mentors in Engineering and IT
  • Develop a diverse perspective of what your future career could look like and how to adjust to the working world from professionals
  • Advance your career plan, align your goals to your values and be more informed about graduate study and career options
  • Improve your chances of securing a job or graduate admission by developing a professional CV and practicing your professional communication skills

Components

This program will equip you with the cross-cultural competencies and international skillset required in a well-rounded graduate with a skill set that extends well beyond the technicalities of your degree discipline.

Whether you are a student looking to work in Australia, planning to join a global organisation, or someone who hopes to gain work experience overseas, join this program to take the first step towards developing a truly global mindset!

The program is composed of 2 main strands, students are required to participate in all components to successfully complete the program:

  • 1. Mentee Training and Mentor Introduction

    This two part session will guide you through developing your Intercultural Skills, and then  you will meet your mentors and fellow group-members. Main training topics will include:

    • Different aspects of the local and global knowledge important for employment, including expectations of local and international employers, established workplace processes in local and international organizations, and hierarchical structure in local and international organisations
    • Intercultural resilience and mindfulness including cultural self-awareness and socio-linguistic awareness, openness and curiosity to different opinions, cultural sensitivities in work discussions and interviews, and listening and observing skills.

    Details of Training Session

    Thursday 25 July 2024 

    Section 1 - 1:00PM - 5:00PM

    Project Global Citizen will deliver a session to students participating in the Intercultural Career Mentoring Program. The session is designed to create an uplift in the benefits of any mentoring process by increasing both levels of cultural awareness and specific intercultural skills.

    During the session participants will create their own personal cultural profile to highlight how their own cultural background influences many common behaviours.

    From here they will create templates for dealing respectfully with people whose cultural background differs from their own.

    The session integrates activities designed to clearly demonstrate the differences that are usually unconsciously disregarded or assumed to be non-existent.

    Direct outcomes for participants of this session are:

    • To be able to identify their own personal cultural orientation.
    • To be able to critically analyse any intercultural situation.
    • To correctly use templates that assist mentees in applying their intercultural skills until these skills become fully integrated in a mentee’s behaviour.
    • To understand when cultural differences may not require a modification in behaviour.

    As indirect outcomes of this training, participants will have a better understanding of the intercultural barriers to employment and how to mitigate risk factors as well as increased confidence in dealing with people from an unfamiliar background.

    Thursday 25 July 2024

    Section 2 - 6:00PM - 8:30PM

    Intercultural Career Mentoring Workshop. In this component you will meet your mentors and fellow mentees. The mentors and mentees will be from various fields of Engineering and IT as well as various different cultural backgrounds, however have similar goals to achieve from the program. You will have the opportunity to share experiences and advice, connect and learn from each other.

    Following the Group Mentoring Workshop, should the members of your mentoring group be interested, you are welcome to continue your mentoring conversation via online platforms.

  • 2. Networking Night

    Thursday, 12 September 2024

    6:00PM - 8:30PM

    The final event of this program will be the Networking Night. Here you will be invited to come along, network and connect with all the participants of the program. An opportunity to build connections and further your professional partnerships whilst in real time putting your learning from the program to practice, as well as to build connections with the other mentors and students in the program who aren't in your immediate group. This is a great opportunity to learn more from the mentors about the industries in which they are working - industries you may move in to following graduation.

Timeline and Details

The following training and events for this program will take place in person on the University of Melbourne campus. To participate in the Intercultural Career Mentoring Program, students are to be available for all the below mentioned dates and times.

Thursday 25 July 2023
1:00pm - 8:00pm

Mentee Training  Session and Mentor Introduction

On this day, the first part of the training will be a Cross-cultural training delivered by Project Global Citizen. This will help raise your awareness of how different cultures approach interactions and problems differently, and help you develop strategies to overcome difficulties and leverage the benefits of diverse team viewpoints and approaches.

Following the training session, Mentees and Mentors will be introduced, and a session run to help you put into practice the lessons of the day. You will get to know your mentors and fellow group members, and start to explore how heightened understanding of intercultural issues can improve your understanding and enjoyment of working in and leading intercultural teams.

Location:  The Forum, Mezzanine Level, Melbourne Connect Building

Between 25 July and 12 September
At times mutually agreed upon by your mentee/mentor group

Mentoring Period - Online Engagement

Following the formal introduction, you will have a period of six weeks in which we encourage you to work closely with your mentors to learn more about them, their industries, and how they have implemented intercultural skills and the understanding of diverse cultures to better perform or to improve outcomes for their team, business or employer.

This is also a good time to learn about your fellow mentees. You will come from varied backgrounds and areas of study, much as your future colleagues will as you enter the workforce. Take this opportunity to make friendships outside your degree, learn about their interests, studies, and plans for the future. Explore how your disciplines might work together in industry. These might be your future collaborators in the workplace!

Location: Online - preferred platform to be decided by the group members. You are also welcome to meet in person if this is mutually suitable.

Thursday 12 September 2024
1:00pm - 8:00pm

Networking Night

The Networking Night provides an opportunity to celebrate the lessons learned and connections made during the Intercultural Career Mentoring Program

A final in-person catch up with your group, plus an opportunity to network with other mentors, students and University staff.

Location: The Forum, Mezzanine Level, Melbourne Connect Building

Eligibility Criteria

To be accepted into the program students need to meet the eligibility criteria.

  1. Be enrolled in a FEIT Postgraduate Coursework Degree

    This program is only available to students enrolled in a postgraduate coursework degree with the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology during semester 2 2024

    Only students from the below courses are eligible to participate in this program:

    • Master of Engineering
      (all specializations)
    • Master of Biomedical Engineering
    • Master of Chemical Engineering
    • Master of Civil Engineering
    • Master of Electrical Engineering
    • Master of Environmental Engineering
    • Master of Mechatronics Engineering
    • Master of Software Engineering
    • Master of Digital Infrastructure Engineering
    • Master of Industrial Engineering
    • Master of Mechanical Engineering
    • Master of Computer Science
    • Master of Information Systems
    • Master of Information Technology
    • Master of Engineering Structures
    • Master of Environmental Systems Engineering
    • Master of Engineering Management
    • Master of Energy Systems

  2. Situated in Melbourne during Semester 2 2024

    As this program will be taking place in-person on Parkville campus, only students that are able to attend all the components of the program in-person at Parkville campus are eligible for this program.

    If you are not in Melbourne currently, but intend to be in Melbourne by semester 2, then you are able to participate in the program.

  3. Available to attend all program events

    This program is comprised of three components:

    1. Mentee Training Session and Mentor Introduction
    2. Online engagement and discussions with your mentor and fellow mentees
    3. Networking Event

    To be eligible for the program, students must be available and dedicated to attend both the in-person events taking place within the program, as well as committed to interacting  actively during the online component.

    Read more about the components using the below link:

    Program Components

  4. Submit your Application

    Once you've made sure you meet the above eligibility criteria, remember to send through your application for the program.

    Applications close at 11:59pm Sunday 21 April 2024.

    Filling in your application will take  10 - 20 minutes, we recommend taking your time and ensuring you put through a comprehensive application. You will be asked to upload your CV, so please have this handy when you go to apply.

    Your application will help us understand  what you're hoping to gain from the program and how to best support you in these goals.

    You can send through your application using the below link:

    Apply Now

How to Participate

To apply to participate as a mentee, students are required to complete the online application form.

Click here to apply

Applications close on Sunday 21 April 2024 at 11:59pm.

Your application is an opportunity to showcase your enthusiasm towards participating in the program. Remember to take your time, and be sure to  tell us your career goals, what you hope to achieve from the program and where you see yourself in the future. Please have your CV ready to attach.

Whether you are a first year student or in your final year, this program could be where you meet like-minded professionals and peers to grow your understanding of your future industry.

For further information, please email engit-studentenrich@unimelb.edu.au