Graham Forbes is a Senior Assurance Auditor at Food Standards Scotland in Aberdeen. Here, he shares his experience as a Career Ready mentor to student Karen.
“I wish I had done this a long time ago,” says Graham.
“I’ve had a long and enjoyable career and decided that it was time to try and pass on some of my experience.”
Sharing experience
Graham was matched with Karen, a student from St Machar Academy in Aberdeen. Karen also joined Food Standards Scotland for a four-week paid internship in summer 2024.
“Seeing my mentee make a presentation to over 100 members of our team – and be praised for it by our Chief Executive at the end – was a lovely moment.
“We had crossed some difficult bridges to get there, but at every stage I saw a young person grow in confidence and maturity.”
Benefits for both
Their mentoring relationship brought benefits to both Graham and Karen.
“As a mentor I actually found it helpful myself as I was given valuable insights into the world occupied by the mentee, and that was often funny and surprising,” he says.
“I hope that I’ve helped my mentee realise that there are endless possibilities out there, but you have to look for them and be prepared to take some risks.
“Opening up these areas and showing that by trying something it will generally be supported is something I hope to have passed on.”
Doing the rewarding part
Before becoming a mentor, Graham was keen – but unsure.
“I’d never taken the plunge to become a mentor, as I thought I’d have to do everything,” he explains.
“But the support from Career Ready is exceptionally good. The guidance provided means they do the heavy lifting, and you get the rewarding part.
“There’s real satisfaction in seeing a young person come out of their shell and do things they’ve never believed possible.”
