Mentoring opportunities for ICAS members
ICAS members seeking mentoring opportunities have three main options to boost their careers or the careers of those they help.
The three main mentoring options open to ICAS members are:
ICAS Career Mentoring
At ICAS we understand the importance of career mentoring and the role it can play in a Chartered Accountant’s professional success.
A vital activity for all stages of your professional life, working with a more experienced CA mentor can help get your career off the ground, take it to a higher level, or assist in the development of a new project.
The process can also deliver a whole range of benefits to the mentor themselves, from boosting their leadership and communication skills, to introducing them to new ways of working, and it’s sure to deliver a sense of pride and satisfaction.
The ICAS career-mentoring process is entirely member-initiated, with interested CAs required to proactively reach out to potential mentors or mentees through CA Connect, our member-exclusive online community platform.
Learn more about getting started with ICAS career mentoring.
Mentoring ICAS Foundation students
Through the provision of mentoring and financial assistance, the ICAS Foundation supports academically talented young people from disadvantaged communities who wish to go to university to study accountancy or a finance-related degree.
Part of the Foundation’s assistance takes the form of bursaries, helping students overcome the financial barriers that would otherwise have deterred them from entering university.
However, each recipient of an ICAS Foundation bursary is also automatically enrolled into the ICAS Foundation mentoring scheme. Those mentors come from within the ICAS membership, and there’s always a need for experienced CAs willing to volunteer their time, knowledge and expertise and help further the Foundation’s cause.
Mentoring with the ICAS Foundation offers a unique opportunity for inspirational and enthusiastic CAs to build professional relationships with like-minded youngsters, through a scheme that will be highly rewarding for all involved.
For more information, visit the ICAS Foundation.
Business Mentoring
A pilot programme in 2015 revealed that mentoring by a CA was highly valued by businesses and rewarding for the CA. That success led to the establishment of our business mentoring scheme. Today we work with external organisations such as the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and Entrepreneurial Spark to match CA mentors with businesses across Scotland and England. We can also identify international contacts for members overseas (currently via Scottish Enterprise).
Business mentoring enables our members to help early-stage endeavours grow and thrive, through assessment of business needs and guidance for priorities. This is an opportunity to give something back and help improve the chances of success for a business.
CAs have a wealth of experience in business and finance. Professional experience is varied, but our current mentors are a mix of senior CAs in business or practice, consultants, investors, directors, non-executive directors or those who have set-up their own businesses.