Sohail’s experience as a Mentoring Works volunteer
Name: Sohail Ashraf
Company and role: Euromonitor International, Senior Business Development Associate
BIG Alliance programme: Mentoring Works
What motivated you to volunteer as a mentor via your company’s volunteering programme?
Growing up in a working-class, immigrant family in a Northern city in England meant I didn’t always have positive and inspiring role models around me. Having someone to look up to as a child, teenager or young adult is incredibly valuable as it keeps you focused and inspired. I don’t think schools in the UK offer enough to students in terms of career advice, general knowledge about life etc, especially in working class cities/areas where schools don’t have the capacity to do so. Young people are our future and I feel it’s important for me to share my knowledge and life lessons with teenagers who were in a similar position as me whilst growing up. I was able to move out of the town I grew up in and move to London to work in the financial heart of the world, it would be great to see more people like me do the same.
How has your experience as a mentor been so far? What kinds of things have you covered with your mentee in your sessions?
It’s been a brilliant experience and something I look forward to every week. I speak with my mentee once a week for 30 minutes every Thursday. From the get-go, I told my mentee he has full control over what we discuss in our sessions and I was amazed at how many ideas he presented. Through conversations, my mentee and I realised we had similar upbringings and so could relate to one another. We discuss various topics each week but examples include:
Career advice
Where to find and apply for a jobs
How to write CVs/Cover letters
How taxes work when you get paid
Types of jobs ideal for students in school/university
University advice
What types of courses can I take
What are the entry requirements
How do you pay for university
What happens if I change my mind about university
Student accommodation and social life
Skill development
Developing new skills such as confidence, empathy, active listening
Debating with my mentee and teaching him techniques to persuade and convince
What is the best thing about volunteering?
The most satisfying part of giving up my time to help my mentee is knowing they have someone to ask the questions their parents and teachers can’t answer or they know won’t be judged for. Sometimes the simplest questions go unanswered because young people feel they don’t have the resources around them for answers – I know I did when I was growing up.
What advice would you give to anyone considering volunteering via their company’s volunteering programme?
Listen to your mentee and don’t make any judgements – young people are capable of whatever they put their minds to. The world can be a brutal place, it’s important to equip your mentee with knowledge, skills to take on challenges and help them understand what motivates/drives them! If you have a background similar to mine, where you’ve had a to work very hard to be in the position you’re in, then it’s a great way to give back and share!
Do you work for a company or a school that would be interested in the Mentoring Works programme? If so, contact maria.tonchievici@thebigalliance.org.uk