Here's a little holiday gift from us to you:
Enjoy an  audio excerpt from
Starting Strong: A Mentoring Fable, now available.

MM: Why did you start the program? What needs were you trying to fulfill?

 

RD: After initially a slow start, my banking career started to progress substantially under the guidance of a mentor. Once I received promotions into bigger roles, I then began to mentor graduates in banking and finance, to give something back to others.

 

I looked into which career learning opportunities were available to students, aiming to break into the banking and finance industry. I discovered that there was a real lack of opportunity for students, and people who were already in the industry, to get a mentor.

 

This led me to create WiseRound.com which provides students, and those already in the industry, with banking and finance expert mentors to increase their career prospects.

 

MM: How does your program contribute to employee career development?MM: 

 

RD: Banking and finance career openings receive thousands of applications, most candidates have similar skills and qualifications. WiseRound enables candidates to stand out, learn and gain knowledge and experiences that colleges or universities do not provide. With this knowledge they have the inside edge to be successful in banking and finance career applications.

 

WiseRound allows protégés to concentrate on the skills and knowledge they need to improve their banking and finance career, whether the protégé needs help for an upcoming banking and finance interview, advice on how to get a foot in the door to start their career at a bank or knowledge on how to get that important promotion. Finally, we encourage open and honest discussion between mentor and protégé. This enables sensitive topics that protégés may usually keep to themselves to be discussed openly. It also allows improvement plans to develop, enabling the protégé to overcome obstacles and achieve career gains.

 

MM: What is unique about your program that would help others who are developing mentoring programs?

 

RD: Our protégés learn from the people who have made it in the industry and know the techniques to develop a successful career.  WiseRound mentors are from the banking and finance industry itself, spanning across various job titles and include mentors from major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Barclays, Citi and many more. Our industry is global. So, we have setup WiseRound to replicate that. We provide multiple methods a mentor and protégé can meet, whether it is face to face, Skype or phone. Where possible, we promote face to face meetings to ensure the relationships reach their maximum potential, but we are aware that this is not always viable. We encourage be evaluated

 

MM: What lessons have you learned so far?

 

RD: Initially, we were targeting to onboard mentors who were in senior positions with a minimum of 5+ years of experience in the banking and finance industry. We then realized that WiseRound was missing the potential of new and fresh approaches to mentoring and career advice, from those that have only just began their career. We then allowed people that have recently joined the banking and finance industry, to mentor on WiseRound. For some protégés, this enabled greater engagement, as the mentors were in similar age ranges to protégés and had just recently attended interviews and assessment centers, which the protégé was to embark on.

Having senior more experienced mentors, as well as mentors that have recently joined the industry, allows us to meet the needs of a greater spectrum of protégés.