Step into a career in marketing with The Marketors' Mentoring Programme
An exclusive programme designed for students in the School of Business and Management interested in embarking on a career in marketing, delivered in partnership with The Worshipful Company of Marketors.
Following a successful initial pilot year, the School of Business and Management in partnership with The Worshipful Company of Marketors, is pleased to announce it will be offering the very effective Marketors’ Mentoring Programme to students at the School of Business and Management at Royal Holloway for a second year.
The scheme provides a wonderful opportunity for students to get a step ahead as they prepare to embark on their marketing career journey. Continuing with this partnership, the School of Business and Management at Royal Holloway is proud to be part of an exclusive group of universities working in conjunction with The Worshipful Company of Marketors.
Details of the scheme
The purpose of this Mentoring Programme is to help talented individuals – especially those interested in a career in marketing – to develop their understanding about marketing careers. It offers a high-level, confidential mentoring service to students, to aid their marketing career path decision-making, and improve their job search approach and application skills.
Those selected will be carefully matched with a highly qualified marketing professional (a member of the WCM). They will then help guide the selected students to prepare for their transition into the world of work, ready to embark on a successful career in marketing. The panel consists of marketing professionals who are not only accomplished in marketing but are passionate about attracting new talent into the marketing industry. They are experienced mentors and know the positive impact that career mentoring can bring.
Students interested in applying for a place on the ‘Marketors’ Mentoring Programme: Step ahead into a marketing career’ at the School of Business & Management, supported by the Worshipful Company of Marketors – the City Livery Company for Marketing - are asked to complete a short application form available here: Application Form
Find out more
Marketing Careers Mentoring Programme Discovery Call – November 12, 5pm – 6pm
Attend this call to discover how this Marketing Careers Mentoring Programme, designed for The School of Business and Management students at Royal Holloway by Jarmila Yu (Royal Holloway alumna and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors), is a gamechanger for those wanting to enter the marketing profession, and why you should apply for a place on the programme.
Oh, and if you've already applied for the programme please still attend this call - leave with absolute clarity on what's included in the programme, how you can get the most value from it, and what your personal commitment is if you are awarded a place on the programme.
Use this link to register your space and get the zoom link to attend the call: https://calendly.com/jarmila-yu-thecmoadvantage/60-minute-marketing-careers-mentoring-discovery-call
Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot. For anyone unable to attend, a recording will be made available after the event.
Key dates
- Programme Launch: 21 October 2024
- Marketing Careers Mentoring Programme Discovery Call - 12 November
- Deadline for applications: 29 November 2024
- Student / Mentor matching process: December 2024
- Applicants notified: 13 January 2025
- Deadline for student acceptance of mentoring offer: 17 January 2025
- Sessions booked: 20-31 January 2025
- Students who have been selected for the 1:1 mentoring opportunity are expected to enter communication with their mentors and book in their sessions by the end of January.
- Students selected for the group mentoring sessions will be provided with further details by the end of January.
- 1:1 and group mentoring sessions will take place: February – April 2025
- Celebration event for successful completion of the programme: May 2025 – date tbc
Meet the Mentors 2024
These are the current Marketors* who are kindly volunteering their time to support the Marketors’ Mentoring Programme for the School of Business and Management at Royal Holloway, University of London:
- Debbie Pearson, Director, Desired Results Ltd
- Elliott Cranmer, Founder and Managing Director, Shoot Media
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/elliottcranmer
- Ishani Rege, Senior Strategist Creative Equals
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/ishanirege
- Jarmila Yu, Founder and Managing Director & Consulting CMO, YUnique Marketing Ltd
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/jarmilayu
- Matt Wilke, Business Director, Total Media
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/mattwilke
- Max Richardson, Director, Profile Raising International Ltd
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/max-richardson-fcim-576760
- Moira Clark, Director, The Henley Centre for Customer Management
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/moiraclark
- Nicky Oliver, Marketing Director, E3 Consulting
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/nickyoliver1
- Philip Wright, Non Executive Director and board trustee & Executive Coach
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/pwright4
- Patrick Zinga, Head of Digital Media, Consumer Data & Martech, The HEINEKEN Company
- LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/patrickzinga/
*Details of this year’s mentors will be updated as they are recruited.
Support for the Mentorship Programme
The Marketors’ Mentoring Programme is just one of the many offerings available at Royal Holloway to support students on career planning and employability, and has received support from across the university, from the Marketors themselves and beyond.
Royal Holloway sponsors
Professor Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal Royal Holloway, University of London
“We are committed to our students at Royal Holloway acquiring the skills they need to give them choice and opportunity now and into the future. This mentoring scheme is a wonderful example of this idea in action.”
Dr Lucy Gill-Simmen, Vice-Dean for Education & Student Experience and Senior Lecturer in Marketing, School of Business and Management, and internal liaison for the mentoring programme within the School
“I am absolutely delighted to be working with, and to be championing this mentoring scheme with WCM. To offer our students such a unique opportunity to benefit from the guidance of such high-calibre Marketing professionals and to tap into their expertise is a gift. Given the extraordinary success of the pilot, I am so glad to see this rolling out again and for our students to have such an opportunity as they make critical decisions about their careers."
Georgina Lindsay, Royal Holloway, University of London, Careers Consultant for the School of Business and Management
“Mentoring is the key to unlocking potential life changing conversations for mentees who are making important career choices. The benefits are enormous; from being helped to identify and achieve career goals, to increasing confidence and developing a broader perspective on career options. I’m excited to see School of Business and Management students benefit from such insightful conversations from experts in the Marketing field.”
WCM Sponsors:
Peter Rosenvinge, Court Assistant and Chair of the Mentoring Committee at the Worshipful Company of Marketors Livery Company.
“I am very proud of my fellow Marketors’ commitment to seek ways to support the integrity of the marketing profession, and in particular to find ways to contribute towards attracting new talent into the industry, in keeping with the Marketors' main purpose to give back into society. I am delighted that we are able to work with Royal Holloway School of Business and Management again, having added this well renowned University last year to the select group of education institutions that we support by providing mentors. The generosity of our mentors to give back goes right to the heart of why the Marketors exist.”
Jarmila Yu, Royal Holloway alumna, Liveryman at the Worshipful Company of Marketors, Chair of DMA Talent, Chair of the International Advisory Board at the RHUL SoBM & external liaison for the Marketors’ Mentoring Programme.
“I am thrilled to be able to bring the Marketors’ Mentoring Programme to Royal Holloway again. In collaboration with the leadership at the School of Business and Management we agreed to develop a bespoke offering for Royal Holloway, allowing more students to tap into the knowledge, insights and experience of marketing practitioners by including group sessions as well as 1:1 sessions. The mentoring programme is deeply meaningful not only as a way for the marketing profession to better support and attract new talent into the industry, but also to bring additional personal fulfilment, satisfaction and success to both the mentee and mentor. Royal Holloway continues to inspire students into the marketing profession but it’s often hard to break into an industry going straight out of education. This programme is a valuable way members at the WCM play an important role in helping the new generation of marketers embark on successful careers in marketing.”
Further Information
FAQs: see below
To apply for a place on the programme fill out the form here: Application Form
For more information about the Worshipful Company of Marketors please visit their website.
Your questions answered
When will I find out if I have been successful?
Students will be notified whether they have been matched for the 1:1 or group mentoring sessions by the 13 January. You will then have until the 17 January to confirm acceptance of your place. If you do not accept the offer, you will lose access to the programme and your place will be offered to another student.
If you are matched for 1:1 mentoring, you will have until the end of January to establish contact with your mentor and arrange mentoring sessions at dates and times that work for both of you. If you do not complete this you will also lose access to the 1:1 sessions, and not be able to participate in the programme this year.
When are the mentoring sessions?
The Mentoring sessions will take place between February and April 2025.
For those matched for the 1:1 mentoring, session dates and times should be arranged between yourself (the mentee) and the mentor, at a time that works for both of you. Once you accept the offer, you should contact your mentor and start planning the sessions before the end of January.
For the Group Mentoring sessions, times and dates will be provided to the students in January/early February, once you have been notified and accepted your place on the programme.
Who decides the content of the mentoring discussions, is there a structure to them?
The sessions will be led by the mentee (student) and should be based on the needs and topics you raise, depending on where you are in your marketing career journey. Together with the mentor, you should agree the related topics to discuss and what issues you are interested in working through.
What is the format of the Group Mentoring sessions if you don’t get a 1:1?
The group mentoring sessions will be based on common topics and issues that come up during the 1:1 sessions, as these will be subjects that are common to all mentees. However, there will also be opportunities for sessions to be led by the students, responding to your needs.
What is the commitment?
Similar to your studies at University, the expectation is that you will "show up, lean in and do the work". There is a commitment on both sides, from mentor and mentee. The WCM Mentoring Handbook is a must read by both mentor and mentee - it's an aid to understand the expectations of, and for, both parties involved in the mentoring. It's guidance can provide the key to ensure both parties unlock the immense value that mentoring offers both mentor and mentee.
Download a copy of the WCM Mentoring Handbook here.
Will I receive a certificate at the end of the programme?
For all students who successfully complete the mentoring programme, a celebration event will be held in May 2025 at which a certificate acknowledging your achievement will be presented.
2023 Scheme - The Pilot
Launched on National Mentoring Day 2023 (27 October), the School of Business and Management, in partnership with The Worshipful Company of Marketors, was pleased to offer an exciting new opportunity for those of its students who were interested in pursuing a career in Marketing.
Supported by senior stakeholders, both at Royal Holloway and the WCM, as well as internal advocates from the university’s Careers services and teaching team within the School, the pilot year saw applications from over 60 students, with 33 selected to benefit from the 1:1 and group mentoring sessions.
Mentoring matters! The Marketors’ Mentoring programme is a valuable way for those in the marketing profession to support and attract new talent, while bringing additional personal fulfilment, satisfaction and success to both the mentee and the mentor. Through participating in the scheme students are inspired to embark on a career in marketing, providing them with advice on how to break into the industry as their first step out of education.
Meet the Mentors - 2023-24
These are the current Marketors who are kindly volunteering their time to support the Marketors’ Mentoring Programme for the School of Business and Management at Royal Holloway, University of London:
- Bob Burgess, Head of Category Management Europe, Melitta Group
- Jarmila Yu Founder, MD & Consulting CMO, YUnique Marketing Ltd
- Kevin Harris, Founder & MD, MDSG
- Matt Antos-Lewis, Strategic Marketing & Operations Consultant
- Nicky Oliver, Client & Marketing Director, E3 Consulting
Testimonial quotes from 2023-24 students
Understanding the value of the opportunity made available to them, the original cohort of students fully engaged with the mentoring programme. As the initial run of the scheme ended with a celebration event held in May 2024, three of the participating students reported they had secured their first marketing roles and credited the mentoring guidance as having supported them in getting those roles.
“This programme aided me in my development and further understanding of the Marketing world. Not only did it help me to understand what part of marketing most aligned with my skills and attributes, but it also helped me to get a deeper understanding of the industry and how to best enter it. This programme was essential in my development and preparation to getting my first role. I am now a Graduate Communications Analyst at Computacenter! Thank you to Jarmila and all of the mentors!”
“The Marketing Mentoring programme has allowed me to benefit from expert conversation with an industry professional, developing my industry knowledge and a strong insight into a marketing career. I am currently applying for marketing placements for 2025/26 and have found the application/interview tips extremely helpful.”
“I wish to express my appreciation for the sessions that you have organised for us. Each one was incredibly beneficial, and I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from it.”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed being mentored by Jarmila and I have learned very valuable lessons that I will take into my career. I absolutely love how interactive they are and how many quizzes and LinkedIn advice you have provided.”
“After hearing more about the industry and Jarmila’s experience within the first session, it further ignited my enthusiasm to work in marketing.”
“I value this opportunity because marketing is a career I see as the future, especially digital marketing and being able to learn from the best mentor out there is a very valuable opportunity. “
"Being selected for this prestigious mentoring programme has enabled me to authentically connect with a seasoned marketing specialist and gain a well-rounded insight into the facets of marketing. I think it is valuable for students (like me, who are typically underrepresented within the field) to fruitfully apply their conceptual knowledge to practical real-world scenarios, and I have thankfully already been able to achieve that. I am really excited for what is to come over the next few months as I continue to develop my analytical and interpersonal skills."
“It’s very nice to hear that I have been selected as a mentee and it’s my great honour to participate in this opportunity. “
“I'm really excited about the opportunity and am fully ready to partake in it. I'm really looking forward to the guidance on how to make the most of this experience and to meeting my mentor. I can't wait to get started!”
