Siobhan Smith is Client Services Specialist at Fitch Solutions. Siobhan tells us about why she volunteers to support young people as they face big decisions in their education and careers. Siobhan tells us how looking back at her own life at their age, helps her to understand the challenges they face. We hear about how much Siobhan gets from her time volunteering, and why she would whole heartedly recommend volunteering to others. 

Why do you volunteer?
As soon as I joined Fitch, I noticed ELBA’s mentoring project and decided that this volunteering opportunity was of interest to me. Having previously worked in the caring profession I wanted to continue helping others despite moving fields. This program is voluntary for the students, meaning they are enthusiastic and motivated hence it being a fun project for me as well. I learn just as much from the students as they do from me and I enjoy seeing them progress over the year, learning about the mentees’ aspirations and equipping them with the tools they need to achieve their dreams.

It is vital to have lots of different role models, especially as a teenager during such tumultuous times (exams, moving schools, social pressures etc.) so I am determined to be a positive influence on my mentees. I was able to provide sessions on coping with exam stress and combating fears of public speaking, for example, both of which I struggled with at their age and had no guidance on. My mentees later told me that these sessions helped them to cope during their mock exams.

At my mentees’ age, I felt a lot of pressure to succeed and to plan my future perfectly. Explaining my journey to get where I am, as well as other routes I could have taken, shows the mentees they have options and freedom. Nothing is set in stone, so should they want to change their degree or find a completely different job, this is not a failure to follow a plan, it’s an exciting new opportunity for growth. It is important to me that at the end of the year, the students are not anxious about having their entire lives planned at 14; they can change their mind, aspiring to something new at any time in their life. Furthermore, setting flexible goals will help them achieve bigger and better things because even when the plan changes over time, they will always be more motivated to work towards something they are truly interested in. Within the year, I always see profound personal growth and confidence in my mentees as they begin deciding on a plan for their future. Both of my previous mentees successfully put these plans in place and their achievements speak for themselves, I am proud to have been a part of their journey.

By showing them what it’s like to work in a corporate office, the students can make more informed choices and truly understand what different jobs entail. I hope that this experience will increase the number of young people who are interested in and choose to work in these settings in the future, even if they had not previously been exposed to corporate life. This, in turn, would help to increase the diversity and inclusion within the industry which will be immeasurably important.

What have you gained from your volunteering experience?
Volunteering has allowed me to help others which has been personally fulfilling, my mentees dedication and excitement was incredibly encouraging and every session I took part in was fun and taught me something new. On top of all these benefits, it has also given me the opportunity to use and build my own skill set for my professional development.

Remembering all the difficulties I faced at 14/15 and how I dealt with them compared to how I might handle them now has altered my perspective, changing the way I would advise young people to combat these issues. For example, understanding whether University or apprenticeships are a better fit: when I was younger, I believed that I would need to go to University to be successful, whereas I can see now that this is not the case. I now understand that this choice is incredibly individual and looking at multiple paths of education and/or work experience to get to the same job was one of the many topics discussed during our sessions.

When dealing with less ideal outcomes such as a bad grade, we were able to provide a new perspective and see this as a chance to improve. This is a lesson that we all learn many times throughout our lives, as a new member of staff at the time in an entirely different sector some of these lessons were applicable to both a school and workplace setting. A helpful reminder for both mentor and mentee!

I was able to network with colleagues I had not previously met, from different areas of the business, who also took part in this volunteering. Learning from them and developing professional connections has helped me immensely as have the ELBA employees. I always feel more knowledgeable after completing training sessions and events with the Mentoring Works team who are all excellent.

At the end of my experience volunteering in 2023, I received a letter from each of the students’ expressing gratitude for the help I had provided. Both of my previous mentees stated that they felt less anxious about their future and that their confidence had grown significantly. Knowing that I can help these students and make a difference has brought me so much joy, I truly believe that this experience is more valuable for the mentors than we realise.

Would you recommend volunteering to a colleague and, if so, why?
I would absolutely recommend volunteering to any of my colleagues! My time volunteering has been a pleasure, both challenging and fascinating in equal measure which adds extra excitement and variation into my workday. This has allowed me to grow as a person, develop transferable skills, meet new people, and feel both useful and fulfilled through my mentoring journey.

ELBA specifically is a fantastic organisation that truly cares about their students, they provided support and resources at every opportunity to help both mentors and mentees. This program is flexible enough to fit around both professional and personal commitments whilst being intensive enough to notice the difference you are making. It also provides mentors with an opportunity to learn about the current processes involved in further education and early career options, this gives us the privilege of contributing something positive to the young people in our area.

Choosing to take part in a mentoring program can help us all to improve both ourselves and our community. The more people who complete volunteering programs like this, the better equipped the next generation is. Not to mention, us mentors get the satisfaction of seeing the progress these students make which is phenomenal. I know that the experience I have gained through volunteering is unique and invaluable, I will never forget the lessons I have learned during this time, and I hope to learn many more in the future. I feel lucky to have been able to use my skills to help others and to help my mentees develop an alternative perspective. This has challenged my outlook as well as helping me to grow and evolve. I hope to continue volunteering with ELBA in the future and I would encourage you all to join in!