What was your challenge that you wished to address thanks to mentoring?
At some point, I had a feeling that my career was developing too slowly. I was a junior manager with 7 years of professional experience and sometimes I was wondering what’s next. I felt a bit stuck so I was looking for some inspiration and advice from someone more experienced than me, who might have faced the same challenges in the past.
How did mentoring help you?
First of all, it allowed me to look at my career from another perspective. I realized that the things I perceive as barriers might eventually turn out to be enablers. I also learned how to present myself and my achievements, how to think and talk about career development, and how to look for opportunities to get out of my comfort zone. Thanks to mentoring, I started thinking about initiatives that I once didn’t perceive as possible!
What would you like to say to people who consider becoming mentees?
Think about what you would like to achieve through the programme. It is good to set up some goals at the beginning of mentoring so that you and your mentor know what to work on. Mentoring might not give you new hard skills but it can give you a lot of inspiration and broaden your perspective. Just be open and curious, tell your mentor openly about your challenges, ask questions and listen.