91É«ÇéƬ

Mentoring a 91É«ÇéƬ student is a powerful way to use the knowledge learned on your career journey to guide someone starting out on their professional path. The Career Discovery Mentoring Program is one way to showcase what you’ve learned and inspire others to succeed.

How does mentoring work?

Through the Career Discovery Mentoring Program, you’ll be partnered with a current 91É«ÇéƬ student. You will become part of a bigger, connected and supportive 91É«ÇéƬ alumni and student network.

Sharing your experiences can also bring fresh clarity and renewed purpose, helping you grow as a leader, communicator and listener.  

A Career Discovery Mentoring Program spotlight feature – Vikram Saraph

Over the years, has been a dedicated mentor. We sat down with Vikram to find out more about what inspires him to mentor with CDMP time after time.

What inspired you to become a 91É«ÇéƬ alumni mentor?

I have mentored hundreds of young entrepreneurs and founders over the last 15 years. About 12 years ago, I discovered my liking for mentoring and coaching individuals and startups to bring to life the best of their potential.

When the 91É«ÇéƬ mentoring opportunity came up, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity for me to do what I like and also give some time back to the university.

My enjoyment in interacting with young minds keeps me committed to this activity over the long term.

What does mentoring mean to you personally?

Mentoring is a process of accelerating one's movement toward a particular goal, objective or mission. It is particularly important for providing an outsider's perspective on a situation and for gaining insights from others who have been there and done that. 

In what ways has mentoring shaped you professionally? 

Mentoring has primarily shaped me in two ways:

1. By learning from others' experiences.
2. By constructing meaningful perspectives from my own experiences that could be helpful for others.

In my line of work as a business strategist and coach, mentoring has helped me approach my work firstly in a structural manner, secondly, with a deeper understanding of risk management, and thirdly, by learning from my mentees about their areas of work and their unique challenges.

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a mentor?

Mentoring is a deep dive into your own life, extracting the useful bits from it, packaging it from the mentee's point of view and delivering it in the form of insights, knowledge and tips. Mentees relate to mentors as humans who can empathise and who have overcome their vulnerabilities. Or at least they have a process or a story that helps you do so. Mentoring is the process of helping others see and think clearly and effectively.