Two perspectives on mentorship: Jef & Zaid

Every career journey needs guidance. For new hire Zaid, that support came through our mentorship programme. Together with mentor Jef, he shares how the right support can accelerate personal development and make work more rewarding.

“The consulting world has always had my attention,” Zaid says. “During my business engineering studies, I’d already done an internship at a consulting firm. Afterwards, I started in a data analytics role in the telco sector. Over time, I realised I was hungry for a more strategy-focused role that still kept a strong link to technology. That’s what led me to look into strategy consulting.”

Addestino immediately stood out to him as a great fit, Zaid explains: “The team takes on plenty of technology-driven transformation projects, paired with a strong culture of personal development. During the interviews, I also got a clear sense of the positive, collaborative spirit within the team. What really convinced me was my final interview with co-founder Dominique. He really understood what I was looking for and where I wanted to take my career.”

When asked about training and coaching, Zaid is clear about why it matters so much. “No matter how experienced you are, there are always skills to sharpen and new methodologies to learn. Part of the training happens through monthly sessions designed specifically for new hires. The mentorship programme is another key element of the support structure.” Jef, Zaid’s mentor at Addestino, jumps in: “We pair every newcomer with a mentor from day one – whether they’re fresh out of university or switching from another sector. The mentor is always an experienced colleague, often with a similar background. However, they’re not on your day-to-day project team. The idea is to give you that outside perspective during your first six months, with regular informal check-ins and the occasional lunch along the way. It’s much more practical and hands-on than formal HR evaluations and career talks.”

Zaid is quick to highlight how much the mentoring programme has accelerated his own growth. “Every client has their own company culture, and figuring out how to adapt is crucial to getting things done. This is where Jef has been invaluable to me as a mentor. Finding the right approach for each organisation we work with is a real skill, and Jef has been instrumental in helping me settle in with different clients. More broadly, he’s also accelerated my understanding of the Addestino DNA and our way of working.”

Jef has found that mentoring has made him a better consultant too. “Being a mentor teaches you to understand people better in general, which pays off in relationship management within projects. Over the past eighteen months, those mentorship skills have translated directly into my work as a project manager and coach – whether it’s helping colleagues present their analyses in front of a crowd or guiding them through their assignment challenges. The HR team does an excellent job matching consultants with the right projects and following up on their career paths, but mentoring really comes down to the human, day-to-day level. Those informal moments give us space to build a deeper connection, where we can talk openly about career plans and more personal topics. I’m also completely outside the evaluation process, which adds to the trust dynamic.”

Zaid agrees: “Having a mentor also helps you break out of that new-hire bubble. Your mentor can introduce you to people working on different projects or in other departments. Thanks to that, I already knew most faces by the time we all went on our first team-building weekend in Madrid!

Zaid is confident that combining strategy and technology is where his future lies. “I’m really loving our hands-on approach as consultants, which goes well beyond the traditional advisory role. The depth of our team allows us to tackle complex problems and help with implementation, which is exactly what I wanted to do. The people side of things matters just as much, though. Who knows; maybe I’ll be mentoring new hires myself one day!”