Alfredo Suarez has over 15 years of international and domestic experience in diverse areas within the financial sector (Product, Contact Centre, Digital Innovation and Transformation). It has allowed him to build a solid ability to bring stakeholders together, design programs and manage change to impact the user experience and accelerate growth positively.
What motivated you to join TRIEC Mentoring Partnership as a mentor?
I am a strong believer in the power of giving back and help others bring their best. Being a mentor is for me the perfect way to make an impact in a newcomer’s life by sharing my own firsthand experiences when I was also a newcomer. TRIEC is a fantastic organization that helps me connect with professional newcomers in areas where I can help directly.
How have you supported your mentees throughout the partnerships?
Over the years that I have been participating as a Mentor, I have developed a hands-on approach to support my mentees. I placed emphasis in refining the way the mentees share their stories in an elevator pitch, resume, networking calls or other forums. It is all about practice, homework, and more practice to the point that the mentees are in an advantageous position to take advantage of the many opportunities in the job market.
What has been your top mentoring moment?
I have many but the one that always stays on top is when I receive a call from my mentees sharing that they landed a job. To me that is mission accomplished as I know how important it is to join the job market in a successful way. I stay connected with many of my previous mentees and I get to see how they continue to build their careers in Canada. It is fascinating.
How has becoming a mentor helped you succeed in your own career?
I learn from my mentees as much as they learn from me. As I meet newcomers, I get to enjoy their energy and willingness to conquer the world. This is contagious and helps me stay on my toes and reflect to myself as to how I stay motivated to keep learning and progressing in my own career. Another aspect is that through my work as Mentor, I have also expanded my own network as each mentee launches their own career in Canada. As they progress and build their own network, I get to expand mine through theirs which is a major win for me as well.
What advice would you give to someone considering mentoring newcomers?
Do not hesitate and become a Mentor now. We tend to forget how much help we have received from others, directly or indirectly, especially during the early years in our career in Canada. Having gratitude and giving back is powerful. The idea of becoming a Mentor for newcomers could be intimidating at the beginning, but TRIEC has excellent resources to become a successful Mentor. It comes down to having the willingness and say YES.
If you are a newcomer to Canada looking to build your career, consider applying for the TRIEC Mentoring Partnership program.