Mentor Testimonial: Risha Na

Year of Graduation: 2017

Academic Program: Master of Accounting and Finance

Current Position: Analyst, Investment Analytics and Data

Organisation: Lazard Asset Management, Sydney

My mentees were exceptionally motivated, curious, and passionate about the area they studied in. They came to our appointments with well prepared and relevant questions, which helped me to understand their goals and inspirations. With those in mind, I was able to navigate our conversations towards helping them to achieve their goals. The process during this program was very pleasant and organised. I believe the program gives new graduates an informed and realistic view of the most updated industry trends and what they could do to develop their careers.
 
It was rewarding to see the mentees walking out of those sessions and programs with fresher minds, better ideas and clearer plans. One of my mentees with a Finance background shared with me her blog where she wrote down her opinions on financial markets and discussed those topics with me during our sessions. I provided my feedback and guidance on how to write and think like a real-world Investment Analyst. The student has outstanding critical thinking skills and elaborative writing style, but does not have enough confidence to become an investment analyst. Through our discussions and my positive feedback, she developed her confidence and was equipped with talking points and skills for her following interviews. 
 
Participating in the mentor program is like reflecting on my own trajectory. I was once a student and I am only where I am today through the help of different mentors in my career. Reconnecting with student communities gave me a chance to reflect and summarise my experience and contribute to our younger alumni's career planning and development. Also, by mentoring I have sharpened my coaching skills which will benefit my future career. I am more than happy to continue contributing to our students’ communities through these programs and help and inspire our younger alumni to achieve their goals.