Steady employers, closed conversations.
Portsmouth's defence, maritime and public sector employers offer real careers, and very little published guidance about getting into them.
- Session length
- 30 minutes
- Cost to a mentee
- Free
- Local time zone
- GMT/BST
The people who arrive stuck.
Students and recent graduates
Applying into defence and naval engineering and maritime and logistics around Portsmouth against people who already had someone make the call for them.
Job seekers who keep reaching the last round
Strong applications, no useful feedback, and no one in Portsmouth who can say what the shortlist actually turns on.
People early in a job here
First or second role in Portsmouth, working hard, with nobody explaining how progression or pay is decided.
Career changers
Moving out of health and nhs careers or into it, with a CV that still reads like the last job rather than the next one.
The fields our mentors work in.
Mentors volunteer 30 minutes. Matching is cross-border, so a mentor outside the city is normal and often the point.
Defence and naval engineering
Maritime and logistics
Health and NHS careers
Technology and data
Universities and research
Public sector and local government
Four steps, one half hour.
- 01
Tell us what you are stuck on
A short sign-up: where you are, what you want next, and the one thing blocking it.
- 02
We match you
You are matched with a mentor who has done the job you are aiming at, wherever in the network they sit.
- 03
Pick a time that suits you
Times are shown in GMT/BST, so a mentor in another country never means an awkward hour for you.
- 04
Thirty minutes on video
Free to you, on the platform, with a written summary of what to do next.
The questions we hear most in Portsmouth.
These come up again and again from people sitting in Portsmouth, whatever stage they are at.
How do I get into defence and naval engineering here without knowing anyone in it?
Is maritime and logistics worth moving into, and what does the first year really look like?
What does a strong application for health and nhs careers look like from Portsmouth?
Should I stay in Portsmouth, move, or work remotely for an employer somewhere else?
How do I explain my Portsmouth experience to an employer who has never heard of my last one?
Who funds the sessions here.
Employers running Give across their workforce, with people mentoring from Portsmouth and beyond
Universities and colleges buying career access for students in and around Portsmouth
Local authorities with social value targets
Employers running Redirect for the candidates they turn down
Ready to start in Portsmouth?
Book a free 30-minute session, or tell us what you need and we will match you with a mentor who does the job you are aiming at.
The things people ask first.
Do I have to live in Portsmouth to book?
No. Matching is cross-border, so a mentor is chosen for the job they do rather than the city they sit in.
Is it really free?
Free to you. Sessions are funded by our employer, university and public-sector partners.
How soon can I get a session?
Sign up, tell us what you are stuck on, and pick a slot in GMT/BST once you are matched.
Can I be matched with someone in defence and naval engineering?
Yes. Defence and naval engineering is one of the areas Portsmouth mentees ask about most, and mentors in it volunteer across the network.
Will my mentor understand the Portsmouth job market?
Often, yes. Where the better match sits elsewhere, you still get someone who does the job you are aiming at, and the advice is set against what you are facing in Portsmouth.
Get unstuck from Portsmouth.
Thirty minutes with someone who has already done it. Free to you, wherever you are sitting.