Our Bristol, Our World Youth Conference 2019, Babbasa, Bristol City Hall
My name is Aleena and I’m a Pharmacist at Southmead Hospital. I completed 4 years in University to achieve a Masters of Pharmacy degree and then a compulsory pre-registration year. There were many times when I didn’t get my preferred choices within this process due to failed interviews, applications etc, but I am grateful for the experiences that have contributed to it all working out in the end.
I first heard about Babbasa through a friend and I think it is an excellent institution where they provide opportunities in being pro-active to help out others and to give back to the Bristol community which raised me. I wanted to become a mentor so that I could share my experiences and understanding with the hope that they may help others. During our time together we reviewed career choices and gained a through description of the job role in question. We went over and finetuned CV/cover letter/generic applications. We also exercised job interview skills.
Working with young people has really opened me up to new perspectives. This was my first time working with younger people and so I really got to gain an insight in to how we are well positioned to support others. Through this programmes I have gained a whole new skill in mentoring and with this comes a pro active approach, effective listening, and tailoring support plans.
I believe it is always reassuring to have someone to simply talk to who has been through the process you are about to embark and who can give you the heads up to potential hurdles. I really wish I knew of such schemes when I was in a similar position as a young person!