How alumni can mentor current students through career talks

Former students of Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School can offer current students something no brochure can: an honest account of how careers develop. Through career talks, alumni can explain the choices they made, the mistakes they encountered and the skills that mattered once they entered the workforce. This guidance can connect classroom learning with a future that feels both realistic and reachable.

The strongest talks begin with the interests, abilities and concerns of each student. Alumni should explain their own experience without presenting it as the only successful route. With BRKM Reunion supporters spread across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and regional communities, these conversations can combine the reassurance of a shared school history with practical knowledge of the Australian employment market.

Start with the student's needs

A useful career talk begins before the speaker takes the stage. Students can complete a short, confidential needs check covering their interests, strengths, favourite subjects, preferred learning style and current plans. They may be considering university, vocational education, an apprenticeship, part-time work or a gap year. Knowing this information allows the committee to match each speaker with an audience that will find the discussion relevant.

Support should also reach students who need it quietly. The committee’s guide on how beneficiaries are selected demonstrates how educational support can be distributed fairly. The same principle applies to mentoring: attendance at a public talk may not reveal who would benefit most from a private conversation, and financial or family circumstances should never become grounds for exclusion.

Mentor matching should consider sector, experience and communication style rather than seniority alone. A hospitality graduate may be better placed to discuss practical training and team management than a senior executive speaking about leadership from a distance. Volunteers can offer a limited series of meetings, such as six sessions across a school term, with clear boundaries around contact and confidentiality.

Design talks for Australian schedules

Career events should use a hybrid format so distance does not determine who receives guidance. Australian students may attend university, TAFE, school or paid work across different time zones. An early-evening online session can suit participants in Sydney and Melbourne, while recorded interviews allow students in Perth or regional areas to contribute at a convenient time. Each recording can be divided into short chapters covering subjects such as qualifications, daily work and useful skills.

Live events need practical locations. Meeting rooms near suburban railway stations, public libraries or community centres in places such as Parramatta can make attendance easier for students relying on trains and buses. Regional participants can join by video, while local alumni can organise smaller discussions in their own communities. Venue information, transport options and a backup online link should be included with every invitation.

A focused format also protects the speaker’s energy. A 40-minute session might allow five minutes for the student’s goals, fifteen for an honest career story, ten for practical advice and ten for questions. Students who feel nervous can submit questions anonymously. Speakers should explain unfamiliar terms, avoid excessive jargon and provide written links for any resource mentioned during the talk.

Share credible career journeys

Alumni should describe the route behind their profession, including detours. A useful account might explain why someone entered engineering, changed from commerce to teaching or combined a degree with work in aged care. Listeners need to see that interests can evolve and that a first job does not always determine the rest of a career. Stories about changing direction are often more helpful than polished accounts of instant success.

Australian employers commonly look for evidence of workplace skills, so alumni can show how those skills appear in practice. A concise CV, clear examples and the STAR approach for handling workplace situations are useful points to cover. Volunteers can also explain ordinary employment details, including superannuation, casual work and screening requirements for roles involving children. For students considering aged care, construction, hospitality, engineering or digital services, a realistic picture of daily responsibilities is more valuable than general claims about demand.

Communication styles vary across workplaces, and alumni can prepare students for that reality. Australians often appreciate direct, friendly speech, although confidence should never become bluntness. Phrases such as “give it a go”, “no worries” and “fair go” reflect familiar attitudes toward effort, fairness and second chances. Speakers can explain when to use informal language, how to request feedback and why saying “I do not know yet” can be more professional than pretending to have every answer.

Show pathways beyond university

Career conversations often focus heavily on university entrance, yet Australian students have several credible routes. ATAR or state-equivalent scores, VCE subjects, TAFE certificates, apprenticeships and traineeships can lead to different forms of employment. Alumni should explain these options without suggesting that one pathway is automatically superior. A student who learns through practical work may thrive in an environment that relies less on traditional academic assessments.

Extracurricular interests can also influence career choices. An external perspective on radio sport benefits illustrates how technical hobbies can develop communication, concentration and persistence. BRKM students involved in science clubs, competitions, music, sport or community service may discover abilities that later support their employment. Alumni can connect these activities with real qualities such as teamwork, discipline and creative problem-solving.

Students should be encouraged to compare options rather than make an impulsive decision. A short worksheet can compare cost, travel time, entry requirements, likely working hours and employment prospects for two possible pathways. This is particularly important for students with family responsibilities or those considering qualifications obtained outside Australia. Information about recognition of prior learning can help international students understand how existing qualifications and work experience may be assessed.

Build confidence through practical guidance

Mentoring has greater value when students leave with a clear next step. Speakers can share a moment when they felt uncertain, how they responded to criticism and which habit helped them persist. The BRKM account of daily prayer and meditation provides a relevant example of how a structured routine can support focus and emotional balance. A brief reflection or goal-setting activity at the start of a session may help students settle before discussing their ambitions.

Practical exercises turn reassurance into capability. Students can complete a skills audit, rewrite one line of their CV, practise a mock interview or create a professional introduction. The exercise should match the speaker’s field, and students should leave with an action they can complete that week. Feedback should be specific and encouraging, focusing on what the student did well and what adjustment could make the next attempt stronger.

Boundaries are essential when adults are mentoring school students. Organisers should follow the school’s safeguarding procedures, protect personal information and obtain any required Working with Children checks. Alumni should not promise employment, request inappropriate contact or pressure students into a particular course. Students must retain control of their decisions, while mentors provide evidence, encouragement and access to relevant contacts when appropriate.

Create a sustainable alumni network

A regular programme is more valuable than an occasional event with an impressive guest list. BRKM Reunion can invite volunteers from different professions to complete a short speaker briefing covering audience needs, safeguarding, Australian workplace conventions and feedback standards. This preparation helps every alumnus communicate clearly while allowing each person to retain the authenticity of their own experience.

The committee can rotate sectors and include alumni who entered work through different routes. A panel may feature a university graduate, a TAFE-trained tradesperson, an entrepreneur, a teacher and someone working in the community. Students can submit questions beforehand, allowing quieter voices to shape the agenda. Short follow-up sessions can explore applications, interviews and workplace challenges in greater depth.

Success should be measured through participation and progress rather than visibility alone. Attendance, student confidence, completed action plans, interview practice and sustained contact with mentors all provide useful evidence. Feedback from students and speakers can guide future sessions while preserving the programme’s focus on individual development. For BRKM Reunion, the strongest outcome is a confident student with practical next steps, a realistic view of working life and a trusted connection to the alumni community.