By Amyr Haq, Naib Mohtamim, Sanat-O-Tijarat, MKA USA

The Mentor-Protégé program was initiated by the Department of Sanat-O-Tijarat (Jobs & Career Development), Majlis Khuddam Ahmadiyya USA, to provide guidance to members of the younger generation from elder Khuddam who have achieved a certain degree of success in their respective professions by utilizing the resources available within our community.

Under this program, a younger Khadim (Protégé) is introduced to an experienced Khadim (Mentor) who is working in Protégé's general area of interest or intended career choice. The Mentor will monitor the Protégé for an initial commitment period of six months. An example is the following:

Ahmad has developed a mentor relationship with a young Khadim called Atif, who is pursuing an under-graduate double major in computer sciences and economics. Ahmad has an MBA and is working at a Hi-Tech firm as a product manager. When Atif was a sophomore in college, he consulted with Ahmad about which courses to take. Ahmad not only helped him evaluate several courses and suggested two of them; he also helped Atif apply for an internship at another Hi-Tech company where he had some professional contacts. After finishing his degree, Atif ended up working at the same company as a technical marketing engineer. They still stay in touch to discuss various career milestones for Atif.

By regularly communicating with the Protégé through phone calls, emails, and occasional meetings in person through the commitment period, the Mentor will help his Protégé discover his strengths and achieve his potential.

To learn more about the mentoring program, please go to: http://www.mkausa.org/sanat-o-tijarat.