Stories

Mentoring: small effort, big impact

In a world where people are encouraged to be the same, the Global Enterprise Project (GEP) is a “out of the box” initiative that encourages us as business volunteers to interact differently with students and address their concerns.

I started to get involved in GEP after learning more about the project from an internal email looking for people to volunteer for the project. I have been working for Siemens for the past 8 years and before as a freelance on several automation projects.

I wanted to be a volunteer in GEP because I know how important it is to share our experience with the younger generations, to explain how important it is to keep an open mind when it comes to their future careers, especially in this global environment we are living in. Sharing my experience with students is what made me join this project in the first place, but I never imagined how fun the experience would be or how much it would help me develop my skills further.

I see now how a small effort from our side as business people can have such a huge influence on the students; impacting not only the way they behave today but also the way they see their future careers. I hope that all the youngsters I met realise the value of the education they are receiving through projects like GEP, how this experience will distinguish them from others, make them stand out from the crowd and give them more confidence to take on any challenge.

If I can give young people one advice it would be that every little thing counts – think forward and don’t get stuck in small setbacks along the way.
Thank you JA Spain for the chance to be involved in this project!

Iván Madueño Donoso, PD PA DCS-Product Sales Manager, Siemens