Building connections and making a difference: An interview with a mentor and mentee

When you’re first starting out in your career, everything can seem a little daunting. You might not be sure where to go for tips on starting out or rising up the ranks, navigating different workplace cultures, or how to put your degree to good use.

Here at UTS Careers, we’ve got a bit of thing for mentoring. We believe it’s one of the best ways to start building a professional network, get personalised advice tailored to your ambitions, and get your foot in the door of your chosen industry.

And the best part? Finding a mentor and building a relationship with them is made so easy with the Professional Mentoring Platform (PMP). Today, we’re talking to a mentor and mentee who were able to find each other on PMP, build a connection, and even begin working together.

Charlotte, a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation student, was drawn to PMP for the connections it could provide:

“I wanted to have greater understanding of the working world and see how the content that I was learning about was used in a practical context. I was only one year into studying at the time so I was mainly connecting with people to learn about the industry and the various jobs that are out there!”

For her mentor, Emma, finding a connection with someone from the next generation of employees opened up a conversation with students she may not have crossed paths with otherwise.

Thanks so much for chatting to us, Charlotte! Can you tell us a little about what your experience with PMP was like?

My experience with PMP was great! It gave me the platform to connect with Emma and the wider Nestlé community. From this connection, I was able to complete an internship in my final year working in the Foods marketing team.

What kinds of things did you talk about with your mentor?

I chatted to Emma about her career path, the various roles and opportunities at Nestlé and what the day to day is like! Emma also connected me with previous grads so I could learn about their experiences too!

 

I stayed in touch and when it was my penultimate year, I formally applied for Nestlé’s graduate program. Having connected with Emma, I had a greater understanding of both the program and the organisation as a whole.  

That’s great to hear! Emma, how about you? What did you see as the most valuable thing you were able to help Charlotte with on PMP?

Providing insights into areas of the business which related to Charlotte’s degree, or even personal passions within Diversity & Inclusion or Corporate Social responsibility areas. It was also a great opportunity for Charlotte to learn more about our business culture and working environment.  

And from a mentor’s perspective, what value has PMP added to your experience with the recruitment process? Perhaps being exposed to more students and graduates, finding out what’s important to them, or something else? 

At Nestlé our ambitions are to support and help students navigate their careers paths, open their eyes to opportunities they may not have thought possible or identify key skills recruiters are looking for. This platform can support all these areas in a comfortable environment.

 

I’m personally passionate about helping students navigate career paths or opening up their mind to new opportunities. Every mentoring or coaching session provides me with the opportunity to understand the mentee on a deeper level, learning more about personal motivations and challenges.  

Charlotte, what would you say is the best advice you’d like to pass on to your fellow students?

Connect, stay in touch and ask lots of questions!

 

PMP has benefited me as I applied and received an offer the graduate program. I also have involved myself in the Reconciliation Action Group because of Emma. I’ve absolutely loved my time at Nestlé and am extremely grateful for both Emma and the PMP!

And Emma, what is your top piece of advice for students entering your field? 

Keep an open mind, open up conversations with lots of people in the industry and build your personal brand.

So there you have it! Building a mentoring relationship doesn’t have to be scary or difficult. Join the Professional Mentoring Platform today, and get ready to start connecting, sharing advice, and even get the leg-up in job applications!

Featured image courtesy of Pexels