Be a Mentor.
Create a lasting impact.

By becoming a mentor through our charity, you have the opportunity to make a significant impact in the careers of women. Your experience and insights can help these women build valuable industry networks, prepare for future roles, and achieve their career aspirations.

Develop female leaders.

Mentorship is widely recognised as a key to success in any career. By partnering with us, you will play an essential role in accelerating women's careers.

Your guidance will provide aspiring women with access to influential leaders in the industry, enhancing their professional capabilities and boosting their confidence. This mentorship helps them navigate a competitive job market and stand out as future leaders.

The value of mentoring.

Mentoring is a mutually beneficial experience that not only empowers women but also enhances your own professional growth. Here are just a few compelling reasons to consider becoming a mentor:

Attract Exceptional Talent.

Demonstrating your commitment to mentoring positions your organisation as a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion, thereby attracting top female talent.

Enhance Engagement.

Engaging with a diverse group of women through mentorship not only enriches their experiences but also aligns with your talent attraction strategy, ensuring equal opportunities for all.

Strengthen your DEI Brand.

Participating in our mentoring, elevates both your personal and organisational brand as champions of diversity, equity and inclusion.

What you’ll do as a Mentor.

You will connect with a diverse group of high-potential women who are eager to learn and grow. In this role, you will:

  • Assist women in setting career goals and exploring post-study pathways.

  • Inspire the next generation of female leaders by sharing your personal story and expertise during impactful one-hour sessions.

  • Strengthen your professional network and increase your visibility as a committed advocate for gender equality.

“Hearing stories from so many different mentors made me realise that by focusing on a few key areas I could greatly amplify my career success.”

Alison

Bachelor of Computer Science | 2021 STEAM Ahead Participant

Mentor testimonials.

  • Shahrzad Akbarzadeh Pooladi

    Acoustics Engineer | Arup

    “If you’re passionate about making a connection with the next generation of professionals and having a positive impact in their future, mentoring with Dream Big is a great place to start.

    Dream Big’s approach of bringing together the students and mentors takes the hassle and the guesswork out. The mentors get to attend sessions that are already planned and work with their schedules.

    The mentoring program was well organised, and I found it very easy to attend the sessions without having to prepare materials beforehand. The 50-minute sessions were just the right amount of time to connect with the students to a level that I was able to provide a few personalised tips to each of them.”

  • Caitlin Nicholas

    Senior Forecasting Systems Analyst | Energy Queensland

    "I highly recommend that industry professionals mentor Dream Big participants because you will walk away a better person and professional.

    Not only are you able to share a wealth of your experience and advice with our future leaders, but you will leave each session with a fresh perspective and energy.

    I love connecting with the Dream Big Australia participants. They are ambitious, professional, self-aware, switched on and personable – truly inspiring individuals!

    I walk away from every Dream Big mentoring/networking session inspired by the students, excited about the future and eager to learn more."

  • Usha Vinjamuri

    Project Manager (Tech) | Coles Group

    “I believe that Dream Big offers a safe and secure platform. I'm honoured to be a mentor for the second year in a row - a wonderful opportunity to listen to students’ stories and share my experience. We don’t need to be perfect, and I want to help normalise that. Sharing my experiences as an immigrant, both the good and the bad, helps.

    The mentees’ exposure to the inspiring Guest Speakers in the program has had a significant positive impact on their preparedness for mentoring. These speakers brought to life concepts like strengths, goals, culture, innovation, and leading through adversity.

    This opportunity serves as a catalyst for industry professionals to drive the positive impact by exchanging ideas and inspiring female talent. I would strongly encourage the professionals from various fields to make that difference.”

  • Alrun Wigand

    Digital Strategist | Energy Queensland

    “I’ve loved the STEAM Ahead Mentoring experience! The students are really open and not shy to ask the hard questions.

    Being asked challenging questions has also inspired me to reflect on personal key experiences. With the clarity of hindsight, I have re-discovered some things about myself in the process, which is fabulous! Plus, actually getting to know the students and their diverse backgrounds has broadened my horizon also and fills me with great optimism for the future.

    Providing a diverse range of views and experiences to up-and-coming STEM colleagues is an invaluable contribution that seasoned professionals can make to not only individual students, but also the future of our society and STEM progress. STEAM Ahead makes it easy for mentors to make that contribution, without a long-term commitment—but broad impact.”

  • Cassandra Mai

    Process Engineer, Water Treatment | WSP Australia

    “Every year, I always get so excited when the next round of the STEAM Ahead Program commences as I get the opportunity to meet the future generation of leaders.

    The students in the program are full of energy and passion about what they do, and it inspires me greatly to be able to share my knowledge and help set them up for success in their career.

    I would highly recommend anyone to mentor with Dream Big Australia, as they are incredibly easy to work with, organised and have set up an amazing program to connect students to industry professionals.”

  • Kashmira Deshpande

    Delivery Manager | Coles Group

    “I had a great experience working with Dream Big Australia and connecting with a diverse group of high potential, aspiring students studying degrees in STEAM.

    The students are very bright, curious, motivated and confident. It was great to hear about their journeys, backgrounds, share my experience in the industry, and gain some new perspective from our future talent.

    One of the great ways to shape the leaders of tomorrow and gain new perspectives is via mentoring like in Dream Big Australia's STEAM Ahead Program. It offers numerous benefits such as developing leadership and communication skills, enhancing professional networking opportunities, creating lasting impact, and gaining satisfaction from helping others reach their goals. I would definitely recommend industry professionals to mentor with Dream Big.”

  • Anna Fransson

    Principal Design Thinker | Aginic

    “There are so many benefits of being a mentor!

    It's so refreshing to work with the mentees to see how they look at the world. I have learnt a lot from being a mentor.

    Mentoring these different people has helped me understand that the more helpful we can be in that initial journey, the better their whole future is going to be. Also, finding people that might be interested in working with you in the future--It's just really exciting and inspiring."

  • Ren Zhang

    Engagement Manager | Coles Group

    “It has been a fantastic experience working with Dream Big Australia mentoring the students from different backgrounds.

    The students are definitely bright and talented and willing to learn. I was really glad to know that sharing my experience did help to boost their confidence to get into this field or about themselves. I wish them all the best in their STEAM journey!

    Why others should join - Dream Big Australia has been really supportive of arranging the mentoring and networking sessions. I think we definitely need more experienced mentors to help our women in STEAM to start their journey.

    Your story simply WILL make a change!”

FAQs.

  • We welcome professionals at any career stage, from both STEAM and non-STEAM disciplines.

    Having a diverse group of mentors is highly valuable for our students to broaden their career insights and introduce them to alternative pathways they weren't previously conscious of.

    All industry professionals are eligible to be considered as mentors. Those with backgrounds in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) careers are preferred however for their ability to relate to students’ prospective career paths.

  • Mentees are participants and alumni of the STEAM Ahead Program. They are a diverse group, ranging in age, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, degree type, and discipline (within STEAM/STEM). You can learn more about student eligibility requirements on the Program page of our website.

  • Industry professionals can register to become mentors with us all year.

    You will receive email confirmation when you have been added to our mentoring database and newsletter (which has information about session sign on).

  • This is up to you and your mentee(s) to decide! In our registration form we ask you to supply your LinkedIn so mentees can connect with you there too.

  • Mentoring sessions are just one hour each to deliver maximum impact for minimum time commitment. In a short amount of time (maybe even over your lunch break!) you can guide the career and answer the burning questions of STEAM students eager to launch their careers.

  • We’re so glad you would like to be a mentor with us!

    Fill in the form using the button on this page, and we’ll be in touch.

  • Our Program is offered entirely free to our students through the generous support of our Industry Partners. These are organisations in STEAM industries that benefit from investing in women’s careers by gaining access to student CVs and opportunities to connect with talent they wish to employ, in a win-win for industry and women.

Explore our full list of FAQs here.

How our platform works.

Through our community platform, you can easily connect with early-career women who have enhanced their capabilities, confidence, and employability skills and are actively seeking employment opportunities. The platform features:

  • Mentoring Admin Matching Tool: This tool simplifies the pairing process between mentors and mentees based on their specific needs and goals, enabling you to connect with talent in the community that aligns with your profile. Depending on your partnership level, this functionality may provide additional access to help identify candidates that fit your organisation's needs.

  • Shared Knowledge and Resources: Share your insights and experiences, offering advice that can profoundly influence a mentee's career trajectory.

Need more reasons to register?

If you’re looking to give back and connect with high potential talent, the mentoring experience as part of the STEAM Ahead Program has been designed to support women in launching their careers. By engaging in groups, discussion forums, and development activities, you will directly help prepare women to be skilled, confident, and qualified before entering their chosen industry.

ATTRACT EXCEPTIONAL TALENT.

60% of university and graduate students listed mentoring as a criterion for selecting an employer.

INCREASE ENGAGEMENT & RETENTION.

Effective mentoring boosts retention rates 69% for mentors and 72% for mentees in a mentoring program.

IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY.

Managerial productivity increases by 88% with mentoring and training, versus 24% with training alone.

FOSTER DIVERSITY & INCLUSION.

Minorities who advance the furthest share one characteristic: a strong network of mentors and corporate sponsors.

ENHANCE YOUR TALENT.

Employees who receive mentoring are promoted five times more often than those who do not.

IMPROVE YOUR CULTURE.

71% of Fortune 500 companies run mentoring programs.

Become a mentor today.

Sign up to become a mentor and help shape the careers of talented women.
Your involvement will not only empower the next generation but also contribute to a more inclusive and equitable workforce.