Passing on life and work experience, listening and reflecting together – JOBLINGE mentor Jennifer Pauli explains what drives her as a mentor for young people.
The interview is being published to mark the tenth anniversary of JOBLINGE gAG Leipzig this year.
Why are you involved with JOBLINGE?
I have received a lot of support, advice and start-up help in my professional career so far and have always had the opportunity to try things out for myself.
With my volunteer work at JOBLINGE, I want to pass on this support to young people, which has helped me so much.
It is helpful for young people to get to know different CVs, job opportunities and working environments – JOBLINGE offers these opportunities and my perspective complements them.
It has also been very enriching for me to get to know the different realities of my mentees’ lives.
Why are mentors important for young people?
As a mentor, I mainly offer my time.
Time to listen, encourage, motivate, question and reflect.
This time for individual exchange on professional topics, but sometimes also private challenges, is very important for young people.
It gives them undivided attention, which strengthens them and is a constant in the exciting start to their careers.
They also gain a new perspective on topics and can benefit from the mentors’ practical experience.
What distinguishes your mentee Hiba, how did her training work out?
Hiba has the gift of not losing her courage even in the most difficult moments.
Her ambition to get ahead, her perseverance and her will to achieve something have always impressed me greatly.
It was never a question of whether she would do an apprenticeship, but rather how quickly it would work out.
And now she is already in her third year of training.
(Click here for the interview with Hiba Mahrouk).
What tips do you prefer to give your mentees?
It’s difficult to say, because everyone is so different and has different ideas about their own future.
In general, however, I always advise people to communicate as openly as possible, to learn to address their own needs, expectations and wishes, to endure conflicts from time to time and – that training is only the beginning of a professional career.
Thank you very much for your commitment and the interview!
