Mentee Testimonial: Tianze Zhou

Academic Program: Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Honours)

Through this International Alumni Mentoring Program, I had a couple of virtual meetings with my mentor to discuss the graduate job market and what skills I need to master before seeking my first job. From my previous perception, I reckoned employers prefer to hire employees with a lot industrial experience rather than fresh graduates, it is because skilled employees can pick up a new role and adapt in a new environment easily. After talking with my mentor who has completed a Bachelor Degree of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and is working in the Information technology industry, I have a better understanding about employer expectations, job-seeking skills and future trends in the E&E Engineering industry.

During the process of being a mentee in this program, I have gained valuable insights into my career directions and assisted me in setting my career goals. Most importantly, I have a clear picture of what to do while studying at the university to reach my targeted outcomes. This is a good starting point for me to work harder and develop the required competencies and skills to become more employable and finally achieve my career goals. This program also motivated me to search for relevant jobs or internships regularly from Job seeking websites in order to gain some industrial experience along with my study which could increase the possibility to land my dream job.

This mentoring experience was like a light in the dark for me. Before we met, I didn't have any ideas about what I can do after graduating from university. However, after we discussed the future trends in E&E Engineering industry, I have a clearer understanding of the progression pathways in this industry and which specific fields would have more job opportunities for me. Also, my mentor's work experience provided a clear guide of which skills will be essential in this industry. After that, I reviewed the skills I have developed with the needs of future trends of my targeted industry, I have worked out my career plan and determined my future career directions.

This is a good opportunity for university students to gain insights and access to the latest information about the trend of the job market and increase the awareness of industry-required skills by talking with a mentor. Through this program, an alumnus can share their career experiences and provide helpful tips to current students on how to build a bridge from navigating study to graduate jobs. Besides that, mentors could also offer advice for students to polish their resumes, practice interview skills and other career-related resources. If students who feel uncertain of their future career directions are highly recommended to join this program.