Applications for the Manchester Gold spring cycle are now open!
Mentor application
Share your knowledge
Apply to be a mentor
Mentee application
Increase your knowledge
Apply to be a mentee
Hear from our previous mentors and mentees
Watch the video below to hear about the experiences of previous Manchester Gold mentors and mentees. If you require the transcript for the video below you can download the transcript from the document store.
Manchester Gold is a University-wide colleague mentoring scheme run by the Talent Development Team. It is open to University colleagues at all levels and in any type of role including Teaching, Research, Professional Services, Technical etc and we attract up to 1,200 applicants each year.
The scheme supports career development by connecting the Mentee applicant with a volunteer Mentor who has greater skills or experience relevant to their development goals.
You can apply to be a Mentor, Mentee, or both.
Key dates and timings
There are 2 Manchester Gold cycles as follows:
| Cycle | Applications open | Matching | Mentorship Relationships Live |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn | August - September | October | November - August |
| Spring | February - March | April | May - February |
Applications are now open
Applications are now open for the Spring cycle and will close at 11pm on Thursday 2nd April.
Apply to be a mentor
Share your knowledge
Begin application
Apply to be a Mentee
Increase your knowledge
Begin application
Mentors
We welcome mentors from all role types; Teaching, Research, Professional Services, Technical etc and from Grades 3 - 9+
New mentors join the scheme every year and there is Mentor Skills Training which helps equip mentors with some key knowledge and tools to help them in the role. You can sign up for an event before and after applying.
When you apply as a mentor you will be able to share what you'd like to gain the experience and specify preferences for your match.
If you are successfully matched, you will be able to share what you'd like to gain from the experience and specify preferences for your match.
If you are successfully matched, you will be invited to join a Welcome Event where you'll receive guidance on what to expect and how to get the most out of your relationship. There is also a Mentor Information Pack which provides guidance for you in your role as a mentor.
Some of the benefits of being a mentor are:
- Skills Development
Communication, coaching and mentoring (training available for all mentors), people leadership
- Widen Networks and Perspective
Connect with colleagues from other parts of the University to help widen your perspective and understanding.
- Leadership and Role Modelling
Give back and help a colleague with their development, role modelling key leadership qualities of supporting others and sharing knowledge and experience.
What our mentors say about the benefits:
"The 'feel good' factor; helping people figure out the path forward; a great way to gain insight into what goes on in other divisions'. [Lecturer]
"I just love to mentor and I love that I was paired with someone I wouldn't have met. And I found the support reassuring." [Researcher]
"Not only do I enjoy meeting new people and getting to understand another area of the University, being a mentor has benefitted my own career enabling me to demonstrate skills or knowledge in job applications that I wouldn't have had without being on the programme". [Professional Services Colleague]
Hear more about the experiences of some of our mentors
Mentees
We welcome mentees from all role types; Teaching, Research, Professional Services, Technical etc and from Grades 3-9+
Being a Mentee with Manchester Gold is an invaluable opportunity to focus on your career development, supported by a more experienced University colleague.
when you apply as a mentee, you will be able to share what you’d like to gain from the experience and specify preferences for your match.
If you are successfully matched, you will be invited to join a Welcome Event where you’ll receive guidance on what to expect and how to get the most out of your relationship.
There is also a Mentee information pack which provides guidance for you in your role as a mentee.
Some common areas mentees are seeking guidance and development:
- Career direction and promotion aspirations
- Management and Leadership skills
- Grant writing and research income
- Person confidence/imposter syndrome
- Work/life balance
- Widen understanding of the University
- Expand networks
- Learn from another's lived experience relating to equality and inclusion
What our mentees say about the benefits:
"I have gained a new perspective, tools, and insights on work-life balance and in achieving a better balance between my day-to-day administrative duties and my longer-term research goals". [Senior Lecturer]
"When I joined the mentoring programme my primary aim was to understand the barriers and challenges faced by women from minority backgrounds in professional environments, as well as identify resources and networks that will support my professional growth. Through mentoring, I have built up...confidence to progress career wise". [Professional Services Colleague]
"I have developed a different lens through which to view my situation, and a different perspective to look at things". [Researcher]
Frequently asked questions
What commitment is involved?
This varies and is up to you as a pair to agree. However, we’d recommend meeting with your match every 1-2 months over the 10 month relationship period for around 1 hour each time meaning 5-10 hours commitment.
Other time needed would be for the welcome event, any training or utilising resources & additional learning which could be an additional 3-6 hours.
Can I be a mentee and mentor at the same time?
Yes! Both roles offer different benefits and you can be both on the same cycle if your schedule enables this.
Will I get matched?
We can’t guarantee this.
We will strive to match everyone who applies, but we also ensure matches are relevant to the preferences of both parties, so there are often some applicants who we’re not able to match. This is also influence by the fact that we usually receive a greater number of mentee applications than mentor volunteers.
How does the matching work?
All mentees and mentors fill out a comprehensive application form.
The mentee shares what they are looking to develop and what professional experience, skills and lived experience they would find helpful in a mentor. They can also specify what role type they’d be happy to be matched with e.g. Academic teaching, research, technical, professional services.
The mentor declares their role type, professional experience, skills and lived experience as well as what role type they’re comfortable to mentor.
The mentee is matched with a mentor 1-2 grades higher. The match will be made based upon the compatibility and you will be made aware of the preferences you were matched on.
We use an algorithm to create the matches by finding the matching preferences with the applications and the team sense checks these before communicating matches with successful applicants.
Do I have enough experience to be a mentor?
We match mentors from all role types and areas of the university and grades 3-9+
If you are successfully matched, it will be with a mentee that’s looking for your areas and level of experience. We match 1-2 grades apart, so mentors will be more senior than the mentees.
It's unlikely you’ll match on all preferences and so your first meeting will enable you to understand more about the mentee’s goals and you will be able to express the areas you feel you can add the most value.
Mentors and mentees will be provided with information about setting expectations and goals within the programme resources and the welcome event.
Mentors also have the opportunity to attend a mentor skills event to help prepare them for the role and equip them with some useful tools.
Would coaching be better than mentoring?
The key difference between mentoring and coaching is that mentors often have experience or skills that the mentee is looking to learn from and will offer specific advice based upon their experiences.
Trained coaches are skilled at using questioning, deep listening and encouragement, to support coachees to explore their aspirations, identify obstacles, and develop strategies to overcome them within a safe and collaborative environment.
A Mentor is an expert and advisor. A coach is a facilitator of self-learning.
Coaching may be a more suitable development route if you are looking for an opportunity to:
- Improve self-awareness, confidence and self-esteem
- Identify clarity, focus and actions for development
- Develop a more positive mind-set and taking action to resolve problems, issues and develop work performance
- Reflect on practice, insights into new ways of working and identification of plans for improvement
- Manage personal change and development
- Increase job satisfaction
The University offers individual coaching from a pool of qualified coaches.