Our Mentoring Scheme, a 2023 Finalist in the OEUK Awards, is now taking applications for the second mentoring scheme cohort of 2024.
If you would like to join our program as a mentor or mentee, please get in touch via email - info@axisnetwork.co.uk using the subject line 'AXIS Mentoring Scheme – Cohort 2, 2024.'
Include your name and whether you would like to be a mentee or mentor.
We’ll send you a profile form to complete, and use to match our mentees and mentors.
Closing date: 24-May-24
The program is free to join and lasts for 6 months. We kick-off on 12-Jun-24.
Could you be a Mentor?
All mentors are volunteers and come with a range of knowledge and experience. They are committed to providing a safe environment in which the mentee is encouraged to develop in new ways in their professional and personal life.
And don’t just take our word for it! One of our recent mentoring pairs had this to say:
Mentor:
'I have been an AXIS mentor for several years and cohorts. Why do I choose to be a mentor? Quite frankly as a younger ‘professional’ in what was only then called the Oil & Gas Industry I was not always as professional as I could have been. If I were to talk to the younger me – I may have suggested that saying to your manager “You could not manage your way out of a paper bag” - with possibly a few expletives added in was not the best way to enhance my career progression.
Potential trips offshore for more experience were mostly met with “there are no beds for women”. When I look back, I felt frustrated with my potential career progression and did not really know who to turn to for support. Instead of putting my energy into identifying my strengths & aspirations, I got a bit stuck in “it’s not fair”.
Roll on a few years, of training in non-technical subjects such as HR, Stress Management, Resilience and Coaching I do have a different life view. I was able to use my initial geological and industry knowledge in my Training and Competence Manager roles in speaking to staff from various technical backgrounds. That helps as most of my mentees come from different technical backgrounds.
I use my skills to support my mentees in identifying what is important to them and what perceptions may be holding them back. Any conversation direction is of course Mentee led but a common thread is supporting those who want to progress but are not sure how to.
I have recently finished sessions with a mentee who was not local to Aberdeen and we solely met via teams. As is usually the case I hope I was successful in supporting my mentee but I also gained a lot. My mentee works in the field of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance). Yes, I had to look this up – I don’t need to be told the importance of CPD but the Energy Sector is changing and new skills are needed. A fascinating ‘new field’. My Mentee is from a different culture than me, however, it is interesting how many challenges remain the same for women across cultures and continents.
The themes we looked at were career progression, how not to get bogged down in day-to-day work and what could be done to move to more strategic roles. Often as a mentor, it's about providing a different perspective and allowing the mentee to talk through their emotions. Challenges are often around identifying what they think they “have missing” for the next step. From here support them by looking logically at what if anything they do lack for the next career stage but mostly it's about building confidence and valuing their skills.
I enjoyed working with my mentee and I can only wish her well in the next phase of career development.
Would I recommend being a mentor on the AXIS Scheme – absolutely.'
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Mentee:
'This has been my first-ever formal experience as a mentee, albeit a bit late in my career. I took the opportunity to enroll in the program sponsored by AXIS, as I had recently made a major career shift from a highly technical role to a role in Sustainability, which is a broad, relatively new and expanding field.
My past roles as a technical lead – often required me to get down on my hands and knees and work with the team to deliver. The new role, on the other hand, needed more of strategizing – mid to long term type. I was fortunate to have my mentor (also a trainer and a coach), – as they served as a guide, support and a trusted sounding board throughout the mentoring relationship. Shifting careers is not easy. My mentor’s ability to see potential, offer encouragement in times of doubt has been invaluable. Her empathy, coupled with humility in sharing her own experiences, has been instrumental in helping me navigate certain unexpected challenges that came up, with resilience. Her approach was never prescriptive or instructional – but rather nudging me to think of solutions on my own. I am truly grateful to my mentor and AXIS for this opportunity.'
Come and join us!
Closing date: 24-May-24
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