Vijay G. Chander has a professional background in a mosaic of industries- Banking, Consumer Packing Industry, Telecommunications, Wildlife Conservation and Forestry Research. Most of his career, he has spent in building a bridge between Technology, People and Process, leading transformation programs and program delivery. Vijay is a 15- time mentor with the TRIEC Mentoring Partnership (TMP) program, he shares his experience of mentoring newcomers.
What inspired you to become a mentor with the TRIEC Mentoring Partnership (TMP) program?
In 1999, I took a taxi to the airport and got talking to the taxi driver. During our conversation, I found out he was a telecommunication engineer from India with over a decade experience. He asked me to help him to find a job in the industry instead of driving taxi. I spent next three months helping him with his communication style, writing his resume, building his confidence, and interviewing skills. Finally, he was successful in getting a job in Bell after four attempts. He introduced me to other professionals like him, and I continued to mentor, in some cases I was successful in assisting new immigrants finding jobs. My manager heard about what I was doing to help new immigrants to Canada; she referred me to TRIEC a few years later and rest is history.
Is there a story or moment from your mentoring experience that has stayed with you — something that reminded you why this work matters?
My first mentoring experience without being associated with an organization, just by having a simple conversation and showing an interest in other human beings has stayed with me. I hope it stays with me for the rest of my life. The most important thing I learned from the above interaction, is that everyone in this world is struggling, if we just lend our attention, care, understanding, compassion and listen without any judgement we could probably make a difference in another person’s life.
How has mentoring impacted you in your own professional journey?
Mentoring has made me a better leader. I have learned to serve my teams with compassion, understanding and valuing them first as people and treat them with respect for their knowledge, experience, and insights.
What would you say to other individuals to encourage them to become mentors in the program?
Just one word and one sentence; the word is “Listen “and the sentence is ” There is a Silent in Listen”.
What have you learned from the newcomers you’ve mentored?
I have learned following three things:
- Everyone brings valuable experiences; insights and they have very powerful stories; I have learned to “listen”
- I rather “Seek to understand than be understood for the first few meetings”. When I learned to understand their perspective, my perception changed, and I could meet them where they are. This taught me to learn, un-learn and re-learn.
- Build the bridges of trust through listening, understanding and empathy.
In one sentence, how would you describe the impact of mentorship?
Mentorship fosters growth, confidence, and success by providing guidance, support, and shared wisdom.
Inspired by Vijay’s journey? You can make a difference in the lives of immigrant professionals by helping them thrive in their careers. Become a mentor with TRIEC: Learn more here: https://www.mentoringpartnership.ca/join-us/become-a-mentor/