For Salman, volunteering with the ACA Student Mentoring Programme is a way to give back to the profession and share knowledge and experience built up over a long and varied career.
As an ACA student at a small practice in the early 2000s, Salman Maqbool FCA remembers not really knowing where to turn for advice. “I was one of very few people in a training contract at my firm,” he explains. Although he was part of the Chartered Accountant Student Society of London, and had regular check-ins with ICAEW, he struggled to balance work, exam and home pressures, as well as figuring out the next steps for his career.
A few years later, by then an audit manager at Deloitte, he witnessed similar struggles among his junior associates. It was this, along with his own experience, that motivated Salman to join the ACA Student Mentoring Programme. He is currently helping two students, one who is close to completing the six-month programme, and another who has just started. He meets online with each mentee for 30-45 minutes every two to four weeks, depending on work and exam schedules.
A few years later, by then an audit manager at Deloitte, he witnessed similar struggles among his junior associates. It was this, along with his own experience, that motivated Salman to join the ACA Student Mentoring Programme. He is currently helping two students, one who is close to completing the six-month programme, and another who has just started. He meets online with each mentee for 30-45 minutes every two to four weeks, depending on work and exam schedules.
“It’s just like supporting a friend – you have genuine happiness when they do well. Hopefully, you set someone off on a course that helps to make their life a little better.
Building careers
Having enjoyed a varied career – including working in both small and large firms and running his own practice for the past 15 years – Salman can offer a wealth of professional experience and expertise. “I’ve been in the profession 24-plus years now, and I think there’s something to be shared for pretty much any young person coming on board,” he says. “The reason I feel inclined to join these things is the same reason I would help my siblings and my children, who are now young adults: so you can learn from my experiences and get a head-start from the beginning!”
On the one hand, what a mentor can offer is external validation: “When somebody sees the potential in you, and believes in you, it makes you feel like you can do anything,” Salman explains. “And then the other side is objective criticism. I can help you see how you might be making a problem better or worse.”
On the one hand, what a mentor can offer is external validation: “When somebody sees the potential in you, and believes in you, it makes you feel like you can do anything,” Salman explains. “And then the other side is objective criticism. I can help you see how you might be making a problem better or worse.”
“I’ve been in the profession 24-plus years now, and I think there’s something to be shared for pretty much any young person coming on board”
For both of Salman’s mentees, faith has been an important area of common ground. “Both of them come from a similar faith as myself,” he says. “What’s interesting is that their issues are not necessarily faith-based, but faith has an effect on what they do and how they act.”
“I was not as expressive about my religion,” Salman explains. “It was partly insecurity as a young person and not being sure how it would be perceived, but I didn’t feel confident to express that part of myself. Being unable to practice my religion when I first started my career was challenging and impeded my personal development.”
The workplace today is very different from the one Salman remembers, but mentoring still helps bring personal and professional lives together. “When I see young people now, I can see they have a different identity, which is a good thing, but they do face similar challenges,” he adds. “People who practice their faith can feel that it is frowned upon in the workplace. For example, one of my mentees had last minute meetings put in the diary that clashed with Friday prayers. However, because of the introduction of diversity policies, a lot of work and progress has been made by firms to change that perception.”
“I was not as expressive about my religion,” Salman explains. “It was partly insecurity as a young person and not being sure how it would be perceived, but I didn’t feel confident to express that part of myself. Being unable to practice my religion when I first started my career was challenging and impeded my personal development.”
The workplace today is very different from the one Salman remembers, but mentoring still helps bring personal and professional lives together. “When I see young people now, I can see they have a different identity, which is a good thing, but they do face similar challenges,” he adds. “People who practice their faith can feel that it is frowned upon in the workplace. For example, one of my mentees had last minute meetings put in the diary that clashed with Friday prayers. However, because of the introduction of diversity policies, a lot of work and progress has been made by firms to change that perception.”
Comprehensive support
The ACA Student Mentoring Programme enables students to choose their own mentor, and is designed to last for six months, which Salman says “helps to focus both of us in terms of the number of meetings and what we’re trying to get out of it”.
The feedback and ongoing support he has had from ICAEW is an important part of the experience, too, he says: “We’ve had conversations about what went well and what could be better. I think that helps to keep mentors motivated to carry on.” He has also found it reassuring to be able to redirect mentees to caba for specialist support he doesn’t feel qualified to offer himself. “It’s important to put your hand up when you don’t know something, rather than pretend you do know and make things worse,” he explains.
Most of all, it’s about the fulfilment that comes from helping others. “It’s the satisfaction of knowing you’ve made a little difference to somebody and contributed to their development in a hopefully positive way,” Salman says. “It’s just like supporting a friend – you have genuine happiness when they do well. Hopefully, you set someone off on a course that helps to make their life a little better. You don’t know what will happen, but you know you played your little part.”
The feedback and ongoing support he has had from ICAEW is an important part of the experience, too, he says: “We’ve had conversations about what went well and what could be better. I think that helps to keep mentors motivated to carry on.” He has also found it reassuring to be able to redirect mentees to caba for specialist support he doesn’t feel qualified to offer himself. “It’s important to put your hand up when you don’t know something, rather than pretend you do know and make things worse,” he explains.
Most of all, it’s about the fulfilment that comes from helping others. “It’s the satisfaction of knowing you’ve made a little difference to somebody and contributed to their development in a hopefully positive way,” Salman says. “It’s just like supporting a friend – you have genuine happiness when they do well. Hopefully, you set someone off on a course that helps to make their life a little better. You don’t know what will happen, but you know you played your little part.”
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