Starting university or entering the workforce can be exciting, but it can also be confusing. You suddenly have important decisions to make: What career should I pursue? Which skills should I develop? Am I making the right choices? How do I build a professional network?
While there is no substitute for your own experience, having a good mentor can make the journey considerably easier.
A mentor is someone with greater experience who is willing to share their knowledge, perspective and lessons learned to help a younger person grow. Importantly, a mentor does not tell you what to do. A good mentor helps you think better, see possibilities and make more informed decisions.
Why Have a Mentor?
- Learn from someone else’s experience
One of the biggest advantages of mentoring is learning from someone who has already travelled part of the road you are starting on.
A mentor can share real-world experiences, what worked, what didn’t, mistakes they made and opportunities they wish they had recognised earlier. This can help a young person avoid unnecessary mistakes and develop a more realistic understanding of the workplace.
- Gain career clarity
University students and young adults often have many career options but little practical knowledge about them.
A mentor working in an industry you are interested in can help you understand what the job is really like, what skills employers value and what you should do to prepare yourself.
The NUSS–NUS Mentorship Programme, for example, connects students with experienced industry professionals and aims to support holistic development, career readiness, the transition from university to work and networking.
- Build confidence and communication skills
A mentor can become a safe person to ask questions that you might hesitate to ask a lecturer, boss or even your parents.
Regular conversations can improve communication, confidence, interview skills, decision-making and professional etiquette.
For young Singaporeans, mentorship can also provide an opportunity to meet successful professionals who may have faced similar challenges and understand the importance of balancing family expectations with personal ambitions.
- Open doors—but don’t expect favours
A mentor may introduce you to people, organisations, industries or opportunities that you would otherwise not encounter.
However, mentorship should not be viewed as a shortcut to a job.
The strongest mentor-mentee relationships are based on learning and mutual respect. The mentee should bring curiosity, preparation and initiative—not simply ask, “Can you get me a job?”
Mentorship Opportunities Through SINDA
For Singapore’s Indian community, SINDA’s youth mentorship initiatives provide an excellent example of structured mentoring.
SINDA has highlighted youth mentorship as an important way of helping young people broaden their perspectives and prepare for their future careers. Its initiatives have included Mentor Me, which supports tertiary-level students through mentorship, workshops and internship opportunities; SINDA-IBR Corporate Mentoring, which connects Indian youths with experienced business and industry professionals; and Mentorship to Let Her Shine!, which connects young Indian women with established women leaders.
These programmes demonstrate an important principle: young people do not have to figure everything out alone.
NUSS-NUS Mentorship Programme: Learning from Experienced Professionals
Launched in AY2012/2013, the NUSS–NUS Mentorship Programme is a joint collaboration between the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) and NUS. Designed specifically for NUSS members as mentors and NUS students as mentees, the programme has connected experienced industry professionals with students across 13 cycles.
The programme provides students with one-to-one interaction with experienced industry professionals, while helping them develop communication and interpersonal skills, understand career possibilities and make the transition from university to employment.
For the current programme, NUSS’s mentor criteria include significant working experience, a willingness to share knowledge and skills, commitment to working with young people and openness to mentees from diverse backgrounds. Mentees, meanwhile, are expected to be proactive, engaged and open-minded about their career options.
Finding a mentor on your own
For some, this may be a better option. Look within your university, alumni networks, professional associations, LinkedIn, industry events, or organisations that offer formal mentoring programmes. Don’t be afraid to approach someone whose career interests you, explain what you hope to learn, why you value their experience, and ask if they would be willing to have an occasional conversation or guide you. The best mentor relationship is built naturally over time through mutual respect, clear goals and a genuine willingness to learn.
That last point is particularly important: mentoring works best when both sides put in the effort.
What Makes a Good Mentor?
A good mentor doesn’t necessarily have to be the most senior or successful person in an industry.
Look for someone who is:
- Experienced – has relevant knowledge or career experience.
- A good listener – listens before giving advice.
- Honest – gives constructive feedback, not just encouragement.
- Approachable – creates an environment where questions are welcome.
- Generous with knowledge – genuinely wants to help others grow.
- A good role model – demonstrates the values and behaviours worth emulating.
- Relevant to your goals – ideally has experience in an area you want to explore.
The Pros—and the Cons
Mentoring has many benefits, but it isn’t a magic formula.
Pros:
✔ Career guidance and greater clarity
✔ Learning from real-world experience
✔ Increased confidence
✔ Better communication and professional skills
✔ Exposure to different industries and perspectives
✔ Networking opportunities
✔ Personal and professional development
Cons:
✘ A poor mentor-mentee match can limit the experience
✘ Mentors can sometimes impose their own career preferences
✘ Advice may be based on an industry or workplace that has changed
✘ Some mentees become overly dependent on their mentor
✘ Mentoring requires time, commitment and effort from both parties
The solution is simple: listen to your mentor, but don’t surrender your own judgement.
Be the Mentee You Would Want to Mentor
Ultimately, the quality of a mentorship depends on the mentee as much as the mentor.
Come prepared. Ask intelligent questions. Be punctual. Follow up on advice. Share your progress. Accept constructive criticism. And most importantly, take responsibility for your own decisions.
A mentor can open a door, shine a light on a path and share the map, but you still have to walk the journey yourself.
For a university student or young Singaporean Indian starting a career, finding the right mentor could be one of the smartest investments you make in your future.
Sometimes, the difference between knowing where you want to go and actually getting there is having someone who has walked the road before you.
“Want a Mentor? Start Here”
https://www.sinda.org.sg/programme/mentorme/
https://www.nuss.org.sg/nuss-nus-mentorship-programme/
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