My name is Grishma Mehta. I enrolled in the Career Mentorship Program in December 2014 and later on January 21, 2015 I received an email from Tetyana Khramova, CMP Director to invite me to attend a Mentorship Orientation Session. I had read the email over and over again as I couldn’t believe that I was matched with a mentor so soon and her occupational background was also in Human Resources. It was at the Orientation session that I met with my mentor Renee.
I was so excited to meet with my mentor. She is so humble, down to earth and joyful. We briefly talked about my resume and my program goals and it was at that point that I booked the next mentorship meeting. I was so impressed by Renee’s desire to help. We discussed my past education and experience. Renee made some suggestions about my resume which were so different from what I have learned back in India. In subsequent weeks Renee and I spent some time in building an effective resume, which, I thought was really important. She helped me to prepare for the interview by helping me to improve my presentation skills. She also taught me how to be focused on what the interviewer wants to hear. We practiced various mock interviews. We prepared a list of sample interview questions and answers. This really helped me to be prepared for any interview in the future. Renee trained me how to read a job description between the lines and how can I customize my resume for that job opening. Every time I applied for a job, we discussed the company’s vision, mission, the job posting, and work culture. It was so easy to work with Renee and I felt so comfortable with her. I followed her suggestions and that helped me improve my communication and presentation skills.
She boosted my self-confidence by believing in me and making me feel special. She always told me that I should be proud of what and who I am. We developed and discussed a list of dream employers for myself and for my field and strategies on how to reach out to them. She helped me grow my professional network. We had several discussions about cultural diversity, networking skills and professional development.
During our mentorship relationship I applied to many jobs and got a few interviews. Finally, I was offered a job on June 26th where my education, experience and skills were valued and appreciated.
ERIEC and Renee have provided me with unconditional support since we met. I am so glad to have found a mentor who acts as my guide on the path of career success. It is all possible, thanks to ERIEC’s assistance and Renee’s precious time. I can’t thank you all enough for all that you have done for me.