Arslan’s Experience with the Industry Mentoring Program

Arslan discovered the Industry Mentoring Program early into his Bachelor of Engineering degree at Griffith. Arslan had been a part of several programmes during his time at Griffith however it wasn’t until his graduation drew closer that he realised how valuable the Industry Mentoring Program was to his post-graduation career.

“As I was getting closer to my graduation, I needed something that would help me bridge a gap between university and the industry”, he says. “During that time, I was actively participating at industry events and was trying to build my professional network. One hurdle I faced regularly was to find time from these busy professionals. IMP provided me a platform where an industry mentor was committed to work with me for a whole semester.”

Arslan’s mentor, Kinsey, proved to be just what he needed. Kinsey provided him with support and insight into her industry. She also offered advice on his career as well as her own stories as a graduate struggling to find a job out of university.

“My mentor was super supportive and a very kind individual…During our first meeting she listened to my whole story and made notes about my future goals and ambitions”, Arslan explained. “We continued to meet each week to share progress on the past week and make appropriate changes for the week ahead.”

Arslan also observed that his mentor’s relevant career experience was of great help in informing his own career goals and broadening his perspective on potential job roles.

“She was working at one of the largest company’s in Australia – Suncorp Bank and I was also hugely interested in finding a role with companies as big as Suncorp”, he says. “She helped me understand recruitment cycle for large organisations but also stressed upon looking for opportunities in small to mid-size firms as well.”

Kinsey was not always available for hands on meetings due to her own work commitments however Arslan notes that this didn’t stop her from checking up on him during crucial points of his job search.

“There is one specific meeting I remember greatly – Kinsey had to fly to Melbourne. It was about the time when I was preparing for an interview,” he says. “She really worked hard in finding a time where she could check up on my progress and finally we agreed for a skype meeting where we did a mock interview. This was such a huge effort on her part and I was so thrilled to find a mentor who really wanted to see me succeed.”

Support and excellent career advice weren’t the only thing Arslan gained from the mentorship however.

“Since Kinsey worked in the city, she had good knowledge of the best coffee places. Apart from the career advice I would get each week, trying out all these new coffee places became a memorable experience as well.”

In his advice to other students considering the program Arslan stresses the importance of services such as IMP when making the transition from University to the industry.

“I would recommend each student to take initiative in designing their future and I know from experience that platforms like IMP can really help in achieving those goals.”

Register for Industry Mentoring Trimester 2 intake now!