2021 Young Professionals Internal Audit Mentorship Programme
1 to 1 Learning
Mentoring is an important tool that enables both mentors and mentees to reap the rewards of sharing knowledge and learning from others. Launched on 22 February 2021, the IIA Singapore 2021 Young Professionals Internal Audit Mentorship Programme connects the skills and knowledge of experienced members with young career starters who are starting out on their professional journey.
On 28 June 2021, 32 mentors and mentees gathered together to share about the experiences and challenges faced during their mentorship journey. During the kick-off session, Koh Chin Beng, President of IIA Singapore shared that there is no one best mentoring formula and the key to a successful mentoring relationship include creating a relationship of trust and using open and supportive communication.
“Having a mentor can make a significant difference in one’s professional life. Done right, it facilitates professional development and opportunities to learn from one another, builds lasting friendship, and improves the career journey for everyone involved, both mentor and mentee,” said Goh Chin Yee, Vice President and Chairperson of Membership & Certification Committee, IIA Singapore.
“The only constant is change. During these challenging times, I find the programme is immensely beneficial for me as I gain access to knowledge, insight and experience that I can’t read about in a book,’ said Mentee Kenny Tan. “One programme, one community. You join the programme, you have a community supporting you,” added Jerry Lee, Mentor of Kenny.
“We are bound to face diverse struggles in life. Having an experienced mentor to guide and provide me with another perspective to solving work challenges, is a golden opportunity that I am not about to pass up. Be open-minded and willing to learn. Having benefited from the pilot Young Professionals Internal Audit Mentorship Programme, I strongly recommend it to aspiring young internal auditors,” said Mentee Katherine Ang. “As a mentor, I have gained insights into the motivations of our profession's future leaders. This has allowed me to constructively challenge my mentee to be the best version of herself. Mentoring is a gift that keeps giving. If you are a believer of quality talent being the game changer of our profession, you will love mentoring. It is a privilege to give back to our profession," said Mentor Melissa Aw Yong.
True leaders never stop learning. John F Kennedy once said that "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
“Regardless of our titles or years of experience, we can learn from each other. A mentor is someone who allows you to see the higher part of yourself when sometimes it becomes hidden to your own view. Through mentoring and by being open and humble to learn, I believe we can reach our ultimate potential,” said Mentee Pauline Lee. “The willingness to listen with an open mind provides invaluable insights to an unknown. It lets the mentees know they have something meaningful to contribute, and encourages them to work out their thinking. Invariably, they arrive at a solution on their own,” added Mentor Henry Phua.
The mentors and mentees certainly have interesting anecdotes of their mentoring journey and we are heartened to see their enthusiasm and commitment to making the mentoring relationship a success. We wish them all the best!
Not an IIA Singapore member? Explore the wide range of career support tools and resources that IIA Singapore offers its members globally.
