Mentoring | Australian Chamber

Mentoring

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which one person shares knowledge, skills, information and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of someone else.

Mentoring is a concept that has taken off in recent years. As one-to-one developmental assistance has become more popular, the term mentoring and coaching have come to be used as catch-all descriptors for which there are no universally agreed definitions.

Goals of the IACC Mentoring Program

To create inter-generational links and bonds between established experienced Irish and Australian business professionals ("mentors") and our young members ("mentees").
To provide an opportunity for mentors to transfer their wisdom and experience to mentees, empowering them to become future business leaders.
To give mentees access to knowledge from other professions and disciplines.
To support the continuous growth and development of mentees in their professional careers.

How does the program work?

The IACC Mentoring Program runs over an 8 month period and applicants are required to complete an online application form, which will be given to Chapter based independent selection committees who then match mentors and mentees.

Mentees are responsible for maintaining ongoing contact, with organisation of these meetings being the responsibility of the mentee - this is really important and will be pivotal to your success. The format of the relationship will be determined by the pair and may include e-mail, Skype, phone or face-to-face meetings.

Who can be involved?

We want to hear from:

Early to mid-career professionals looking for:

Career guidance
An understanding of how business works at a senior level
Impartial business advice from someone with your best interests at heart

Senior business people interested in:

Helping develop talented individuals within the IACC network
Sharing knowledge and expertise with younger members

Apply As A Mentor

Apply As A Mentee

Testimonials

Martin Lynch

Marketing Adviser Australia

Bord Bia(Representing Teeling Whiskey Company, Taste Ireland, and Flahavans Oats)

At this time last year I was feeling lost in my career and was starting to feel a little down. However, once I got onto the IACC Mentoring Program things started to change for the better. My mentor has been great. He used his wealth of knowledge and experience to help guide me into thinking out my goals and aspirations in order to figure out where I really wanted to go in my career and life.
Eight months later and I am in a new role which I absolutely love. I'm working for Irish food and drink companies here in Australia and while also doing a masters degree. I would recommend this program to any Mentee who is at crossroads in their career, or feeling a little stuck like I was. I would also recommend it to any mentor who would like to take the fulfillment from sharing their experience by giving back to a mentee who will no doubt be as grateful as I am. My participation on the program has really made a huge positive difference in my life.

Rory Martin

National Sustainability Leader

dwp | suters

Over the past year I have had the benefit of participating in the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce mentoring program. At the beginning of the program I felt that I had a lot to offer my industry but I wasn't quite sure how to take my career and industry interaction to the next level. I was fortunate enough to be paired with an outstanding mentor who instilled the confidence in me and challenged me to reach my potential. I learned how to think strategically and was able to bounce ideas off a great sounding board.
Fast forward a year and in that time I have been appointed to two state boards on sustainability in the property and construction industry, have had the most successful year of my masters program and have been recognised by the Green Building Council of Australia as their inaugural "Future Green Leaders" award recipient for young professionals contribution to sustainability.
The IACC have created a fantastic opportunity for young people in Australia to benefit from the experience of senior industry leaders. I could not recommend the program enough and I encourage every young person to give it a go. Everything you put into it will come back tenfold!