Venturing into the world of work after leaving full-time education is a daunting prospect. One way to ease the transition is to learn from young professionals who have been through the process themselves in recent years.

As part of Stage 3 of our Pitch Perfect Programme, the Chamber hosted an online Mentor-Mentee Day on 26 January for student participants to meet their mentors from the Chamber's Young Executives Club (YEC).

"The mentors are from various industries and professions, including finance, legal, marketing, HR and technology. Many of them have also risen through the ranks to become senior management in their companies," said Eric Fok, YEC Co-Chairman, speaking at the event.  

"This mentor-mentee connection is a great opportunity for all of you – not only for this competition, but also for your future career development. The mentors will be able to answer your questions about what to expect in the world of work, and help you prepare for job-hunting and interviews once you finish your studies."

YEC Vice Chairman Olivia Kung then shared more information with the students about the initiative, and what they can expect in the next stages of the competition.

During the Mentor-Mentee Day, the students had the opportunity to get to know their mentors and hear directly from them about their own career paths and experiences, as well as some practical advice on winning the competitions.

Stage 2 of the Pitch Perfect Programme mostly took place during December and January, when the students had the opportunity to visit one of the seven sponsor companies. Besides learning about the selected company and its operations, the students also gained a better understanding of what corporates are looking for when they hire new graduates. 

The company visits and mentoring sessions also aim to prepare the students for the competitive stage of the programme, which will be in an interview-style format for a hypothetical job. Real-life interviews can be stressful, so this stage will also be great preparation for the students when they enter the workforce in the next few years.