My Mentor - Essay Example

One of the most influential people who have profoundly impacted my life is my first employer. He owned a medium-sized ISP (Internet Service Provider) company in the suburbs. To this day he remains my mentor and friend. Throughout my employment period, I enjoyed a pleasant working relationship with him, based on respect and understanding. I joined the firm during the economic meltdown that hit the country in 2010. During this period, I worked with a highly motivated team. Our main objective was to increase the company’s profit margins. Given the prevailing economic drawbacks, this was a tall order. My employer was exceptionally helpful in providing the conducive working environment; with reasonable targets, deadlines, and achievable goals. For instance, I was provided with the resources and given the chance to get on-the-job training.

On my first day of employment, during the company meeting, I was introduced as the new IT department rookie’. In my second week, I had just delivered the weekly System Maintenance report to the Managing Director when he requested me to see him. I worried about my performance and thought I was going to be fired. What followed left me dumbstruck. The manager told me that my potential could not be fully utilized within his firm. He shared with me the idea of building an independent venture. Listening to his advice, given that he could have retained me as an employee for as long as he wished was unbelievable. He stated his intention to work with me for a maximum of one year, during which I would learn the ropes and be business oriented.

Well, in my own capacity, I felt comfortable in having a job that is secure and was not willing to venture into business. Deep down I knew that I had the potential, though I was not willing to bring it out. In the months that followed, I reported directly to the manager who engaged me in all forms of learning. One of my colleagues called it ‘street learning’. I climbed the ranks through hard work, dedication, and expert advice from the manager.

After 1 year, my contract ended. The time to start my business had come. In my experience, I had identified several avenues to pursue. However, I had no idea which was best. I approached my employer with my options, looking for help on how to arrive at a decision. I received expert advice on starting a business venture and the preparations required. In my preparation, my mentor created the working environment and guided me on business development. In the startup, the idea I adapted was to open a high street store dealing in electronics (Zilmann and Brosius, 82). Unfortunately, I did not have enough capital to stock the shop. My mentor offered to stand in for me as my venture capitalist. This gave me the opportunity to start my business.