Mentor Testimonial: Rebecca Jones

Year of Graduation: 2007

Academic Program: Master of Arts (International Studies) 

Current Position: Chief Operating Officer

Organisation: Pyrra Technologies Inc, Switzerland

I have had the privilege of mentoring three amazing mentees through the program so far.  Despite all studying the same program, each mentee has come from very different backgrounds and has been focused on highly diverse career paths.  As such, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each student, learning about their motivations, and goals, and helping them in some small way, to prepare for life after graduation. 

On the practical side, this has meant working with each mentee and curating a tailored (but informal) program together.  Depending on needs and interest, this has meant a mixture of:

• Demystifying government and/or private sector hiring practices
• Running mock interviews 
• Connecting my mentees to inspiring industry people for a chat 
• Improving their CVs
• Identifying examples to answer selection criteria 
• Talking through pros and cons of different careers paths, and 
• Simply working to build confidence

All three of my mentees have been truly wonderful people.  They are intelligent, kind, and driven individuals, all of whom have demonstrated wonderful EQ. As a mentor, this has meant that each interaction has been energizing and fulfilling.  I highly recommend the program!