headspace career mentoring

Matching young people aged 18-25 with experienced working professionals to help kick-start careers. Access ongoing, online support for up to six months.
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What is headspace Career Mentoring?

headspace Career Mentoring is a free online career mentoring program for young people aged 18–25. We match you with a working professional who volunteers to share their career journey, industry knowledge, and real-world insights. You’ll meet regularly for up to six months, giving you ongoing support to build confidence, work towards your career goals and plan your next steps.

 
The Career Mentoring program is best suited to young people who have clear career goals they’d like to work towards with the support of a mentor.  If you’re still exploring your options, need help finding work now, or have other challenges making work or study difficult, headspace Work and Study might be a better fit. 

Completely free 

A free service for young people aged 18 to 25. 

Up to 6 months 

Meet fortnightly with your mentor. 

All online 

Access support from anywhere in Australia, via video calls. 

Watch our video below: Learn more about Career Mentoring and how the program works: 

Learn more about Career Mentoring and how the program works.

How career mentoring supports your career planning

Career planning is about understanding where you want to go and what skills, experience and connections can help you get there. It can be hard to work this all out on your own, especially when you’re just starting out. 


A career mentor can help by sharing practical insights from their own experience. You get honest advice from someone who has actually navigated the pathways you’re interested in, including the parts you might not find in a job ad or online. 

Over your time together, your mentor can help you: 

  • clarify your career goals and what you want to work towards
  • understand what different career pathways could look like in your field
  • build the practical skills and confidence to work towards your goals
  • prepare for job applications, interviews, and salary conversations
  • build your professional network and learn how to make the most of it.  

What are the benefits of career mentoring?

Of the surveyed young people who participated in headspace Career Mentoring:  

  • 94% felt more optimistic about their work future 
  • 91% had a better understanding of their industry of interest 
  • 100% were satisfied with their mentor 
  • 100% found the program useful. 


Having someone with real-world experience in your corner can give you a fresh perspective on your career. Here’s what you can expect to gain: 

  • Greater confidence: Build confidence in your abilities and hear from someone who likely also experienced uncertainty while navigating their career.
  • Industry insight: Learn more about industries, workplaces and recruitment from someone with first-hand experience.
  • A clearer sense of direction: Get a better understanding of possible career pathways and what you can do to work towards your goals.
  • Practical feedback: Get another perspective on your ideas, applications and workplace skills, and identify areas you might want to develop.
  • Stronger professional connections: Learn how to build your professional network and feel more confident developing professional relationships.
  • Support through challenges: Learn how your mentor has navigated setbacks, career changes and challenging workplace situations.
  • Ongoing encouragement: Have someone to check in with, recognise your progress and help you stay focused on the goals you’ve set. 

What is the intake process?

 

1. Check your eligibility:

If you're aged 18 - 25, living in Australia, have clear career goals and can commit to regular online sessions for up to 6 months with a mentor, headspace Career Mentoing could be a great fit for you.

 

2. Sign up during an intake period:

Our intake periods for 2026 are:

  • Intake 1: 9 February - 6 March    
  • Intake 2: 20 April - 24 May    
  • Intake 3: 20 July - 21 August
  • Intake 4: 19 October - 20 November  

 

If you would like to register your interest outside of an intake period, you can fill out our form or give us a call so that we can reach out when the time comes. 

 

3. Discuss your needs:

On the appointment day and time, a headspace team member will get in touch (based on your preferred mode of contact) to discuss the program, answer any questions you have and complete your registration.

Please note we have limited appointments available. If you need to cancel or reschedule your session, please advise us as soon as possible. 

 

4. Match with a mentor:

Once you commence the program, you will be able to register your mentee profile on our e-mentoring platform. We'll propose mentor matches that best fits your interests and goals. You can make the final decision on who you will be matched with by approving or declining the match. 

 

5. Start your mentorship:

Connect with your mentor via video call for your first session. You will be able to decide together how often you both can meet (usually fortnightly). Mentor relationships last for about six months or less, until you hit your goals. The headspace team will support you every step of the way, and you can reach out to us at any time.

 

 

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Ready to get started?

  1. Log in or register with a headspace account
  2. Find a time with our Career Mentoring team that suits you for an intake call
  3. Confirm your booking

 

Book an appointment now
“The program gave me back the confidence I lost in myself. My mentor gave me insider knowledge on how to become a competitive candidate for postgraduate study, including ways of gaining relevant experience that I would never have thought of myself.”
- Amber, young person

Not ready to book an appointment?

That’s ok. If you’d like to learn more about Career Mentoring or explore your work and study options first, there are a few ways we can help:  

Frequently asked questions

Yes, headspace Career Mentoring is completely free for young people aged 18–25 living in Australia. 

Our volunteer mentors work across a wide range of industries and come to us with extensive work experience and diverse career journeys. Even if the mentor is not from the specific industry that you're interested in, you'll still benefit from having a dedicated mentor.  
Once you join the program, you’ll complete a mentee profile so we can learn more about your career interests and goals. We’ll suggest potential mentors based on what you’re looking for, but you’ll make the final decision on who you work with. 

It is totally fine if you and your mentor don’t vibe! If this happens, it is not a reflection on either of you. We work hard to find a suitable mentor who is aligned with your goals, but sometimes a mentoring relationship may not work out for all sorts of reasons.   


You can always reach out to the headspace Career Mentoring team for support if you feel like it's not working out with your mentor. 

Your mentor won’t find or secure a job for you, but they can help you develop the skills and confidence to find opportunities yourself. This might include building your network, strengthening your applications and interviews, and learning how to navigate your industry. 

Our volunteer mentors work across a wide range of industries and come to us with extensive work experience and diverse career journeys. We'll propose mentors that best fit your interests and goals. Even if the mentor is not from the specific industry that you're interested in, you'll still benefit from having a dedicated mentor. You will make the final decision on who you will be matched with by letting us know whether you’re happy to work with the proposed mentor match 

It is totally fine if you and your mentor don’t vibe! If this happens, it is not a reflection on either of you. We work hard to find a suitable mentor who is aligned with your goals, but sometimes a mentoring relationship may not work out for all sorts of reasons.  
   
You can always reach out to the headspace Career Mentoring team for support if you feel like it's not working out with your mentor. 

You will need a laptop, PC or tablet and internet connection for your online video sessions. It’s best to connect to WiFi if you can. We use a system called Mentorloop to connect you with a mentor and your video calls take place within the platform.

We’ll be in contact with both you and your mentor when you are ready to start wrapping up so you can plan your remaining sessions. Once you and your mentor have had your final session together, we will reach out to you to have a chat about your mentoring experience and formally close off your participation with the service. 
 
You are still able to communicate after your final mentoring session. However, the mentoring relationship will no longer be supported by headspace. How you will communicate moving forward will be up to you both, and we encourage you to discuss this with each other to ensure you both feel comfortable and agree on the next steps.

headspace Career Mentoring works with volunteers who apply to become a mentor for young people between the ages of 18-25. This program supports the online relationship between mentors and mentees (you), as mentors draw upon their own experiences and help support you as you navigate the early stages of your career. This program is highly competitive with limited numbers in each intake period.  

headspace Work & Study Online provides tailored online support with one of our trained Work and Study Specialists. Unlike mentors in our Career Mentoring program, our specialists act as career advisors to help you figure out your goals and how to reach them. This program offers support for both work and study and is available for all young people between the ages of 15-25. 

You can also receive mental health support and work and study support through headspace Work and Study Online. This service has a team of clinicians who can work with you and your Work and Study Specialist on any mental health challenges related to your work and study goals. 

Find out more about which program suits you best.

The Career Mentoring team appreciates and welcomes your feedback. You can use the general headspace service feedback form, just make sure to indicate that your feedback is regarding the headspace Career Mentoring program.

If you’re a working professional, find out if you're eligible via our mentor page.

headspace Career Mentoring is youth-led and voluntary. This means it is up to young people to decide whether they would like to get started in the program. 

We encourage parents to support young people by discussing the program and then supporting them to register for themselves. Parents can call 1800 810 794 to discuss their young person’s situation if they feel they need extra support. 

 

 

Career Mentoring is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services