AYP Mentee of the year 2019 Marine Derambure reflects on her mentorship journey!

Starting my career in 2018 as a communications professionals, I enrolled in the AYP Mentor Scheme at the start of 2019. At the time, I had four main goals in mind: 

-    Improving my networking skills.
-    Gaining business development experience.
-    Having a better career plan.
-    Increasing my expertise in marketing/communications. 

Meeting with Calum Lawrie over the course of a few months, we discussed potential projects that would help reach my goals. Thanks to Calum’s constructive advice, I have not only managed to make significant progress with my initial objectives, but also developed abilities I wasn’t expecting in the first instance.

Improving networking skills
Networking isn’t necessarily taught at University and can be nerve-wrecking when you don’t really know how to go about it. Suggesting events and offering practical advice, Calum gave me the tools to feel more confident and comfortable.

Enhancing self-awareness 
By attending different events, volunteering for organisations (such as STEM Ambassadors), and undertaking new tasks at work, I have been able to get a better understanding of my personality, what I am good at, my likes, and dislikes. I realised that knowing yourself is critical and paying attention to your behaviour can set you up for success when facing challenges. Self-awareness is likewise beneficial when exploring and choosing career paths.


Boosting self-confidence for more
To me, a mentor encouraging and challenging you is a great way to become more assertive and confident. Over these past few months, I have felt more assurance in the actions I have been undertaking and now have a clearer picture of the career path I would like to pursue. I now feel I can take more responsibilities in my current role, but also in my personal development. I have recently been appointed as promotions lead and head of fundraising by two organizations; two roles that are giving me more challenges and a great opportunity to strengthen my skills and develop new ones. 

I can say the AYP Mentor Scheme has been very beneficial for my professional and personal development. It gave me more focus and confidence. Today, my responsibilities within James Fisher and Sons plc are different from last year and more marketing-focused (which I was looking for!). Being in charge of planning and implementing a marketing strategy for the product line R2S, and on my way to follow a CIM qualification, I am given the chance to significantly develop my career. Special thanks to Calum and the AYP team who have been great support in achieving these outcomes!