This year ANU alumnus Jack Tyson participated in the MomentuM Mentoring and Professional Development Program. A Senior Associate in the Cyber Incident Response team at Clyde & Co, Jack shares his mentor experience.

What motivated you to apply to the MomentuM Mentoring and Professional Development Program? 

I’m very fond of ANU and was excited by the opportunity to give back to the student community.

Reflecting on when I was a student, I always got a lot out of connecting with a practicing lawyer, asking about their experience and insight on different career pathways and even guidance on how to overcome challenges like working in a field of interest.

Did you have previous mentor experience?

Part of my job is to help mentor junior colleagues and support their professional development, so I have that experience. But not in a formal program sense. I do enjoy being that external, independent voice but equally enjoy understanding the mentee’s experience - I certainly have learnt a lot from my mentees.

In your view, what is the most important aspect of being a mentor?

It’s critical to really listen - if you can understand your mentee and where they’re coming from, you’re in the best position to support them. 

A close second is being conscious that your role is to guide and provide insight from your experience. This generally means not providing recommendations or doing the problem solving for the mentee. I think the best mentors provide great guidance and perspective, which in turn helps empower the mentee to progress towards their goals or solve problems independently in a way that’s right for them.

How would you describe your experience in the program?

I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve been involved in the program for two years now and I’ve been really fortunate to have 2 quite different mentees at different ends of their student experience. The first was in their last year of university and the second in their first.

While there was a big difference between the two, I certainly enjoyed and got a lot out of connecting with both. It was great hearing the fresh first year perspective but also how some things at ANU still remain the same. With the later year student, I helped her with some direction and support on what types of legal jobs are out there and what might align with her interests. I was so happy to hear that she secured a graduate role in the niche area she wanted, at a very reputable firm. That’s been the highlight of my experience with the program so far.

What are your takeaways from participating in the program?

Participating in a mentoring program can be so rewarding. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with someone at a different and likely more junior phase of their career journey, learning about emerging trends and challenges and help others based on your experience.   

You also don’t have to be in Canberra to participate in the program! I have the connection to ANU because I’m an alumni, but now live in Brisbane and have quite easily managed to meet with my mentees and participate remotely. 

Would you recommend the program to other legal professionals? 

Definitely! I would particularly encourage younger professionals in the first few years of work after university to consider applying to be a mentor - you are in a great position to connect with students (and visa versa) because of the smaller age gap’.Another point is that young professionals might be a bit closer to earlier career connections / introductions that you might be able to help with - this can be super valuable.

My experience of the program is that students really value that because they can hear about what you did and see similarities with where they are now - which puts you in a great position to help provide guidance, whether on university questions, or towards their interests and broader career goals.

Learn more about the MomentuM Mentoring and Professional Development Program.