I became a CIBSE mentor to pay forward the support I received on my own path to chartership and to widen access to practical and honest guidance in building services. In façade engineering especially, careers do not follow a single route. People arrive with different backgrounds and strengths, and a small piece of timely advice can change the direction of a career. Mentoring lets me offer that help while staying close to new ideas and fresh energy in our profession.
What I enjoy most is the clarity that comes from structured conversations. Early on, a mentee approached me while preparing for their professional review. We set up short and focused sessions, agreed simple actions such as sharpening the competence evidence and mapping experience to the criteria, and kept momentum between calls. Seeing their confidence grow as their documentation improved was incredibly rewarding. Moments like that remind me that small and consistent support can have a big impact.
Over time I have supported multiple mentees at different stages. Some are exploring routes to membership or registration, and others are navigating specific challenges at work. I am transparent about what I can help with and what sits outside my experience, and I encourage mentees to own their journey. The CIBSE mentoring platform makes this easy. I control how many people I take on and when I am available, so the commitment remains sustainable alongside my day job.
Mentoring has shaped me professionally. I listen more carefully, and I try to hear what is not being said. I try to ask better questions and give feedback that is specific, kind and actionable. It has also widened my perspective. Conversations with mentees from other companies and regions expose me to different ways of approaching decarbonisation, digital workflows and design coordination. I bring those ideas back to my projects and to the way I support colleagues.
On a personal level, mentoring keeps me grounded. Day to day it is easy to focus on deadlines and deliverables. Mentoring creates a pause that helps me reconnect with the bigger picture, the reason our work matters for people and for the planet. It also reinforces a community mindset. When we help each other, the whole sector moves forward.
If you are thinking about volunteering, start small and be clear about your boundaries. One mentee at a time is more than enough. Be honest about your expertise, reply reliably, and aim to enable rather than solve. The goal is not to take over. The goal is to help someone else succeed. And do not underestimate what you already know. Your practical experience, what worked, what did not, how you prepared for a review or handled a tough project, is exactly what many people want to hear.
I continue to mentor because it is meaningful, manageable and mutually beneficial. I learn something in every conversation. I meet brilliant people. I see tangible progress. If you are unsure, try it. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it and by how far your support can reach.