Mentee Stories: Has
Tell us a little bit about you?
My name is Has Ahmed. I currently work at KPMG within the Cyber Security team as part of my Apprenticeship programme. Prior to joining KPMG, I contemplated studying Law at university but as an international student, it was much harder to get a place which met your financial situation. I took the alternative route and after a gap year, I decided to go into the world of work.
Have you found much common ground with your mentor?
From the very moment I met with my mentor, I felt there was a connection. My mentor has achieved almost everything I aspire to achieve and with his qualification and experience. Meeting him made me realise what possible routes I could take to get to where he is. Often times, I do get a bit nervous meeting someone new for the first time and when I met Pras, the nerves immediately disappeared.
How have you communicated with your mentor?
I first got put through to my mentor via email and we agreed to speak on WhatsApp. On there we spoke at length with regards my aspirations, what I want to do and how my mentor may assist me with them. We then proceeded to organise a coffee meet up to discuss matters more personally. It has been very easy to get in touch with my mentor and we are still in touch.
Do you think you’ll have a long-standing relationship with your mentor?
Of course, we have agreed to meet every 3 to 4 months and if required, I can easily message my mentor to discuss things. So we have long-term plans in which my mentor has agreed he will assist me to get through- on condition that I work hard and put in the effort to achieve the possible outcome.
Has your mentor changed the way you think about your career?
Yes, as someone established in their career who works extremely hard, my mentor has made me realise what is important in life and to have happiness. My mentor made me realise that much of the things we stress over are often very small in the grand scheme of things.
Do you think our service could help other people?
Without a shadow of doubt. I have found them to be extremely useful and I am convinced many young people of all backgrounds, education and aspirations would certainly benefit.