Launching your career with mentoring

Throughout this month's #MentorInMay campaign at EY, I've heard some great stories about the value of mentoring and the positive impact it has had on people's careers. I wanted to share the experience of Oan Ahmed, an Assistant Accountant who was named ‘Mentor of The Year’ by EY Foundation, and his mentee Natalia, who secured a Tax Apprentice role with EY in September 2020.

Q Oan, can you tell me a bit about your role at EY?

Oan: I joined EY in 2017 as an assistant accountant within the department of Accounting, Compliance and Reporting (ACR), assisting with the preparation of financial statements for clients. Since joining EY in Newcastle, I have worked across various service lines, including Tax, Managed Services and IT. Before joining EY, I studied Economics at Lancaster University, where I graduated in 2016 with a 2:1.

Q Why did you decide to volunteer with EY Foundation?

Oan: EY Foundation helps young people to access the skills and experiences they need to get the jobs they really want in the future. I wanted to share my own personal journey and my experience of working at EY with others. Within a month of joining EY, I had signed up as an EY Foundation mentor and I have since spoken at schools and colleges about the programmes available.

Q How often did you meet your mentee and what did you talk about?

Oan: Natalia took part in the EY Foundation’s Smart Futures programme. For me mentoring was about offering Natalia time to talk through her thoughts, her ideas, her ambitions and possible career opportunities. A chat with a mentor offers people a space to step back, reflect, figure out what they enjoy doing most and work through options. We met once a month and those chats helped me to understand her ambitions and helped Natalia to clarify the career path she wanted to explore after finishing college.

Q How have you supported Natalia's transition from education to employment?

Oan: After Natalia completed the Smart Futures programme, she was keen to apply to EY. I supported her through the application process, and she received a job offer as a Tax Apprentice. It was great to see her success and to hear how she is progressing. We still catch-up regularly and she calls me for advice or to answer any questions.

Q Mentoring can bring benefits to both parties; what's been your experience?

Oan: Mentoring has been extremely valuable to me; it's really fulfilling and rewarding. I feel like I’m passing on my advice and experience to help others. I also get a huge amount from it too, hearing the different insights and perspectives of others.

Q Natalia, why did you decide to get involved with the EY Foundation?

Natalia: I signed up to the EY Foundation Smart Futures programme to complete my work experience placement in Year 12. I was set to study medicine, but all medical-related placements seemed out of my reach. I then received an email from our head teacher about the paid work experience offered by EY Foundation and decided to explore the profession further.

Q What did the programme involve and what did you get out of it?

Natalia: The programme lasted two weeks. In the first week, we completed a Level 2 mentoring and management course, and in the second week, we experienced what it is like to work at EY in different parts of the business. Despite two weeks being a relatively short period of time, it opened up a completely new world for me. The programme was brilliant and gave me a whole new perspective.

Q How important do you think mentorship is and would you like to be a mentor in the future?

Natalia: I believe that mentorship is invaluable at the early stages of your career. Being 16/17, you have little or no experience of the world of work and yet you have to figure out your career aspirations and navigate recruitment processes. A mentor can really come in handy here. They are able to share their experience and guide you through these processes. It’s nice to have someone to reassure you and provide advice. 

Q How did Oan help you through mentoring? What are the main things he’s taught you?

Natalia: Oan has continued to mentor me beyond the Smart Futures Programme and we still chat now. He was a brilliant mentor, especially when it came to the EY job application process. Whenever I had a moment of panic, we would always have a phone call - he was friendly yet professional and I felt comfortable speaking openly to him.

During my exam period his emotional support was particularly important to me, given the disruption COVID-19 had caused; it was a stressful time. The main thing Oan has taught me is the value of networking; getting to know new people is so important in any career. He has helped me build my confidence, so I am not afraid of talking to new people.

Q Did having a mentor help with your decision to join EY?

Natalia: Right at the beginning of our mentorship, Oan introduced me to many people at EY, which really helped me when I started as an apprentice. I felt more confident going into the office. Oan was also my main contact as I settled in at EY, if I had any questions about policies or procedures, I could just message him without having to feel anxious or awkward. It was a nice safety net to have and gave me a lot of confidence.

Q What do you hope to achieve in your career?

EY is a great company offering many great opportunities and I hope to make the most out of it. Once I receive my qualification, I aspire to have enough knowledge and experience to work as a freelancer in tax services.