I am Alexandra Peña, a Colombian living in Gent. I did my master in Biotechnology at Ghent University. I am part of Mentor2Work since September 2019 when a friend of mine told me about it.
The first time I heard about the program, I was surprised that there was a project focused on helping people having trouble finding a job, mainly foreigners, because that does not happen in my country or at least not for free. Given that I was in that exact situation, I decided to contact them to know more about the program.
Since the beginning, I felt very welcome by the coaches and other participants, and then I just became part of the organization. So easy and nice I thought, but that was just the beginning. The best part was yet to come. I participated in workshops that helped me to improve my job interview skills and also to write/design a better curriculum vitae and motivation letter.
A few days after joining Mentor2Work, a mentor was designated to me. Someone with my same academic background and a lot of experience in the areas/companies I wanted to work. He was a great help to me. We worked hard for a couple of months with regular meetings. When I improved my curriculum vitae and motivation letter with his advice, I started being called by companies. We also practice for job interviews by simulating mock interviews in our meetings, which gave me much more confidence at the moment of the real ones.
Fortunately, after 3 months of mentoring, I was hired by an excellent company in Gent. I am very thankful to my mentor because he helped me in the best way possible to gain more expertise in this process. Moreover, he was there when I felt down because of failed applications.
I encourage people to be part of Mentor2Work because it really helps to find your way when you feel there are no more options. You learn a lot from the workshops and coaches and you also have a nice time meeting people (and eating) in the social events. Mentor2Work is an excellent project with amazing people willing to help you. Thanks a lot Mentor2Work!