Mentee Stories: Mehnaz
Mehnaz, who is beginning a Maths and Finance degree, has not only found career advice from her mentor, Rosie, but has also been inspired to take up a new hobby! Read about her journey to become a fully qualified accountant with support and advice from Decade On.
Tell us a bit about you…
My name is Mehnaz, I’m 19 and I just finished a Foundation Year in Maths at QMUL. Now I’m starting Maths and Finance at Uni. I’ve recently found a new hobby which is climbing (specifically bouldering). It is something my mentor, Rosie, put me on and I love it so much I’m going to join the society next year.
What’s the best piece of advice a mentor has given you?
She answered so many questions that I didn’t know the answer to. Even though I’ve gone to events at University, it’s always in a rush and you’re not given a clear answer all the time. Asking Rosie, I understand it properly. I can ask follow up questions, whereas during events you can’t do that because it’s kind of hectic and you usually end up forgetting it anyway. With Decade On, I can actually save the messages or the voice notes Rosie sent me and go back to it, or take notes on it so I can remember it.
I also think it will help in my career because I hope Rosie will be with me for the next three years helping me with the process - maybe even five years before I become a fully qualified accountant or consultant! She has been through the process and knows what to do, so having her there will be such a good help.
A piece of advice that I quite liked was Rosie recommending ‘Lean In’ by Sheryl Sandberg . I’m re-reading it again - I last read it in March but I wanted to read it with a clear head so I’m reading it again.
How easy or difficult have you found the mentoring process?
It’s actually been really really easy, all I had to do was sign up via the website and request the mentor that I wanted. Then we emailed back and forth before Rosie gave me her direct number since it would be easier, and ever since then it’s just been ongoing.
Would you recommend Decade On to a friend?
I would definitely recommend Decade On to a friend! I’ve actually told all my friends about it.
I think the whole idea and concept of it is really good, because finding a mentor in any other way would be quite hard - especially people who are in good companies. For someone like me who is a student, how would I find a mentor otherwise? I wouldn’t really know what to do, so this is very beneficial for me and everyone else using the service.