My surprising mentoring journey

Written by young adult RL

Esteem offers young adults free mentoring from a trusted and trained member of the community.

Find out from someone who has participated in mentoring what it’s really like and how it can help.

Does mentoring make a difference? My experience

Mentoring was suggested to me over a year ago as at the time I was having difficulty managing a number of things in my life.

While I was willing to give it a try, I honestly wasn’t sure whether it would accomplish anything. Once I had been assigned a mentor I went into my first meeting expecting to end it. I was ready to say: “this isn’t for me.”

Over a year later, I still believe it to be the most beneficial choice I have made at Esteem.

I was pleasantly surprised by how casual the meetings were. I was expecting the discussions with a mentor to be quite formal and matter of fact. Instead the sessions were very relaxed and there was no sense of pressure.

By far the most valuable part of talks was the difference in perspective. Having an “outside” point of view would often completely change my view on things. I regularly come away from meetings feeling more sure of myself and with a more stable plan in mind.

Thanks to the support, advice and patience of my mentor Jackie, I have earned a driver’s licence and found employment, just two of several milestones that I felt were unattainable a year ago.

I have achieved almost all of what I set out to do since I started and I feel more confident in my ability to manage for the future.

All in all I have found mentoring to be extremely rewarding and worthwhile.

I have accomplished things that felt completely out of reach and feel more stable in my current position.

I would fully recommend it for any young adult looking for advice or feeling weighed down by life’s hurdles.

What is mentoring and how does it work?

In mentoring a mentor supports their mentee, offering advice and guidance and assisting them in achieving chosen goals. It can continue as long as the young adult finds useful.

To begin mentoring a young adult chooses between a selection of people who might be a match with them. This could be because of shared or valuable life experience or skills.

“Mentoring has helped me to accomplish things that felt completely out of reach”

Mentoring is typically a long term arrangement. It can last anywhere between a few weeks to over a year.

For the first several sessions a mentor meets with their mentee at Esteem.

After this the young adult is also welcome to meet their mentor out in public, for example at a cafe.

These meetings are usually to discuss what the mentee wants to achieve, recent developments and the best options moving forward.

How can I sign up?

Aged 14-26? Esteem can help to match you with a mentor and take the next big step in your life!

Simply Sign Up to Esteem.

And select ‘mentoring’ under 1-2-1 support at the end of the sign up form.

Alternatively, Interested in becoming a mentor?

We’re currently recruting new mentors!

Any questions? Please contact Esteem’s Mentor Coordinator, Michelle on 07401 320 279 or at michelle.perry@esteem.org.uk.