I honestly don’t think I’d be where I am now if it wasn’t for my mentors. My first ever mentor was when I was in a standalone HR role in a creative agency, and she was invaluable. She was an established HR consultant who shared her knowledge, experience, and insights, and I still fondly remember our coffee mornings.
Having an external person to turn to when in a standalone role is incredibly useful, especially if you are reporting to the senior leaders, so don’t have a natural-sounding board inside the business and must be the internal expert on your subject matter.
My mentors’ support and guidance have contributed to my success in roles, giving me a thriving career - including leading the HR team at Saatchi & Saatchi, and even now being an external consultant myself!
I’m now energised by the thought of paying it all forward and being a mentor to others in the future.