Mention Your Mentor on your CV and/or Cover Letter!

Published 30 May 2013, 2:04 pm, by Rachel Banks

Applying for a seasonal clerkship, internship or graduate position?  If you have participated in the MLS Mentor Program, remember to include it on your CV and/or cover letter.

Always seek your mentor’s permission to include them by name.  Even if you don’t mention them by name, you can use words along the lines of:

  • Participated in the 2012 Melbourne Law School Mentor Program.  Run by MLS Career Development Services, this  program supports students’ formal academic training by providing a link to the profession and the practical realities of working in the law.
  • Mentored by (eg) in-house counsel at a high profile mining company OR senior partner/barrister practising in employment law.

Include the type of activities you have been involved in with your mentor eg attending court or conferences, job shadowing, meetings with clients or general career planning discussions. 

Can you make a link between your mentoring experience and why you are interested in a particular area of practice or law firm?  If so, this will make a great impression on your cover letter.

Be prepared to speak about your mentoring experience at interview.

Finally, why not ask your mentor if they are happy to be a referee for you?