Settling Smarter volunteer mentors will support their mentees to:
- Identify and focus on their strengths and interests
- Leverage these strengths and interests to set goals for their career
- Gain clarity about their goals and future education and employment pathways
- Build confidence, feel supported and feel more prepared for work
- Increase their understanding of the steps needed to enter the workforce in Australia, including:
- Identifying relevant job opportunities
- Preparing CVs, cover letters and job application documents
- Performing well in interviews
- Navigating workplace culture
Mentors and mentees continue to work together if the mentees secure employment. That’s because, along with supporting young people to overcome the barriers they face entering the workforce, Settling Smarter is committed to creating opportunities for young people to succeed and stay in the workforce.
Information for volunteers
Experienced professionals – people with a diverse range of work experience in Australia (ideally at least 3 years), who can offer their time, skills, and experience to help prepare newly-arrived young migrants and refugees to find work in Australia. Mentors act as role models to the young people in the program; helping to expand their social and professional networks and inspire their career aspirations.
Migrant and refugee young people experience unique challenges that impact their ability to find, secure, and retain employment in Australia. These challenges can include disrupted schooling, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about the employment environment and workplace expectations in Australia.
Settling Smarter aims to improve the career outcomes of youth who often find it difficult to secure meaningful, lasting employment in Australia because of diverse and complex challenges.
What will I be doing?
The program provides young people with mentoring support for up to 6-12 months to help participants adjust to, prepare to enter, and stay in, the workforce in Australia.
As a mentor, you will provide support to your mentee by:
- Encouraging them to recognise and focus on their strengths and interests
- Advising them on ways to identify and work towards their goals
- Supporting them to better understand the processes of looking for and applying to jobs
- Guiding them by sharing your experience working in Australia, thus helping them to better understand the expectations in, and realities of, the workplace
- Assisting them to develop their communication skills relevant to work
How much time do I need to commit?
Mentors need to be able to commit to volunteering for a period of 6-12 months and be willing to travel to a mutually agreed location in Greater Melbourne or meet their mentee online regularly.
In between meetings, mentors should maintain communication with their mentees via phone, text message or email. At the beginning, more regular contact may be required.
Do I need any special skills or training?
All volunteer mentors will undergo training by CMY as part of their induction. The training provides insight on building trusting mentoring relationships and cross-cultural awareness and communication, especially relating to job-readiness issues.
Otherwise, we require mentors to be positive, supportive, encouraging and patient individuals with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
How do I apply?
Please read the Position Description for more information.
To apply, please complete this online application form along with a current resume.