Mentorship is a Gift

Mentorship allows you to shortcut the path to success, and get a preview of what lies ahead. Mentoring others is another rewarding and meaningful experience you can have. In this month’s issue, Social Impact Director Audrey Tim and Deputy Director Nithya Karthikeyan tell us about their experiences doing both!

[Note: The Pay It Forward (PIF) Mentorship Programme will accept applications until 4 March 2023, Saturday at 2300pm. Do sign up here if you’re interested.]

Audrey’s Mentoring Experiences

I had the privilege of meeting trusted mentors at YWLC and at work! I was shy and uncertain of my own voice when I first joined the workforce. Both of them gave me actionable tips to frame my thoughts, speak up, and gave me opportunities to gradually build the confidence I have today.

I also had the chance to reflect on my journey, and use the lessons I’ve learnt to support the next generation via YWLC’s PIF programme and NUS’ Uplift Mentorship programme. Watching my mentees gain clarity and growth has been a truly humbling experience. I learned how to hold space for my mentees and become a better listener. Furthermore, I learned how to ask guiding questions to nudge them to imagine a future that’s bigger than what they saw for themselves.

I encourage everyone to try mentoring others at least once! Yes, the term “mentor” does seem weighty and takes on a certain level of seniority. Through my experiences, I realised that it isn’t too different from being an older sister. During a casual sharing, one of my mentees also told me that my stories helped her anticipate what to expect next.

So, try it! Your experiences will likely help them shortcut the journey to success, and you will learn a lot along the way too.

Nithya’s Mentoring Experiences

I have had the humbling experience of being both a mentee and a mentor at YWLC!

As a young graduate from NUS, I joined YWLC’s flagship mentorship programme to learn from established leaders on building a meaningful career. Having gone through the cycle twice, I was privileged to be mentored by two titans in the world of tech and consulting. Although their role was formally referred to as a “mentor” in this programme, they wore many other hats in my self-development journey - a cheerleader, a guide, a coach, a sponsor, an advocate and many more!

When the roles were reversed on the PIF programme, I jumped at the chance to wear these hats and support budding leaders. I stepped out of my comfort zone to look at the world through someone else’s eyes and learned to be a better listener and empath! Over the course of 6 months, I learned to identify blind spots and self-limiting beliefs so that my mentee could dream as big as she wanted and overcome self-doubt on rainy days.

Not every mentorship journey is life-changing - but you get as much as you give! So take that leap of faith and join us to empower the next generation of leaders!

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Authors: Audrey Tim, Nithya Karthikeyan