“I'm learning something new every day”

Mamtha Ethiraj, a senior business analyst at T. Rowe Price, shares her experience as a mentee on the 30% Club programme, and the many benefits she received from it.

I first heard about the 30% Club mentoring program through a line manager at my company who suggested I have a look at the scheme. My HR team also encouraged me, saying it would be a great opportunity.

I wasn't expecting too much to start with: in the past, I've applied for internal roles, but hadn't been successful. I was hoping mentoring would give me some practical steps and strategies on how to progress my career within the organisation.

I was surprised when I was first introduced to my mentor. Harjinder Kaur is a senior HR lead at LGPS International whereas I’m from a technical background (I previously worked as a programmer and analyst). Could a HR manager really give me the tips I needed to succeed?  

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Harj gave me practical advice about applying for jobs such as negotiating salaries and structuring meetings with my boss. She developed a personal plan for me and made sure I was progressing towards it. Being a senior HR manager meant she had lots of experience dealing with previous candidates, as well as interviewing and selecting candidates.

She began by asking what I wanted out of the programme, and if there were any self-limiting beliefs preventing me from achieving what I'd set out to. She established new deliverables and set objectives for the month ahead, followed by a meeting to see how effectively I’d met them. I found I could really open up to Harj and let her know my career plans. Because she was an external mentor, I felt much more comfortable discussing these subjects with her than somebody from my own organisation.

The programme was very well structured: the mentoring pack asked a lot of interesting questions that forced me to think introspectively and decide what I wanted. You also have your mentor’s complete attention: there's a lot of wisdom and know-how, because they've done it before. The advice made me confident I could apply for a new role.

The programme was supplemented by masterclasses which featured inspirational speakers such as Beth Stallwood [Head of Programmes and Cultural Development at Moving Ahead]. I also heard from women who had won medals in the Olympics and sports psychologists such as Dr Kate Goodger. She explained the importance of having the right mindset to achieve your goals; that there’s a gap between your mindset and your goals – and that gap needs to be filled by practical plans. For me, these practical plans included a program of continuous improvement wherein I’d undertake different courses and strive to continuously learn something new – even just for 15 minutes a day.

The biggest takeaway I learned was the importance of networking and putting yourself forward for applications. I think if you enter a company at a certain level, it sticks with you and makes it difficult for others to see you're capable of doing more. It made me realise you don't need to be 100% qualified for a role. Even if you match 70% of it, you can still give it a go.

The Moving Ahead programme is also a perfect example of diversity and inclusion in action. Diversity is important because it brings in people from different backgrounds and strains of thought. These different perspectives make projects and workplaces more successful. And for me, inclusion means having a voice, having access to opportunities for growth.

My advice to those thinking about making a similar move? Look at internal job boards and see what they're asking for. Do you think you can do 70% of the requirements? If so, have a word with the recruiter. Even if they decide not to hire you, you can still get useful feedback for future applications. And be persistent. Don't just apply for one role – apply for many. Put yourself out there, and network with similar people in other teams.

The advice I’d give a mentee starting a programme is to be open with your mentor, and to make full use of the masterclasses and the mentoring pack. Be honest in your responses to the questions in the mentoring pack. Also, the masterclass speakers are truly inspirational, so take on board their tips.

The 30% Club mentoring programme is empowering and life-changing. I started out with very little experience or expectation, but it gave me the confidence to apply for the role of senior business analyst at T Rowe Price, which is where I’m working today. The program has boosted my confidence. I feel like I'm learning something new every day.

For more information click here or contact Maria.May@moving-ahead.org