Building a career is a journey rarely taken alone. Behind many professional milestones are people who offered us advice, knowledge and encouragement. The Female Ventures Career Vitality Mentor Program supports the career aspirations of women by providing them with tailored guidance from experienced professionals. In this blog series, we present the stories of mentors and mentees in the program. Their reflections are valuable to anyone considering becoming a mentor or seeking the guidance of one. We hope these stories inspire you, motivate you and give you a glimpse of the difference women can make in each other’s personal and professional growth.
Aneta Lalek is a certified coach and business trainer helping people achieve their personal and professional goals. She has developed a strong passion for supporting women navigating professional changes. She helps them gain clarity, build confidence and take meaningful steps towards their next career chapter. While doing so, she also holds a corporate role in a renowned electronics company. Given her interest in coaching, alongside other responsibilities, Aneta has been supporting her colleagues in shaping their roles and growth in the organisation for several years now.
Crossing paths with the Female Ventures community
Aneta’s involvement with Female Ventures started off with a different intention. She was considering volunteering for the organisation to support the administration of the mentor program. Seeing her 10+ years of work experience and aptitude for coaching, a team member of Female Ventures encouraged her to apply as a mentor.
Becoming a trusted sounding board for the mentee
This encouragement led Aneta to enrol as a mentor with Female Ventures. She was matched with Isabel Bjorge, who had recently completed a doctoral program in materials science and engineering. Isabel was taking the next step of her career — entering the job market — while taking care of a newborn. After job offers started coming in, she hesitated in making a choice. It was not simply about finding the right role. Her concern was balancing motherhood and responsibilities at the workplace. So her discussions with Aneta centred around evaluating job offers that would allow her to pursue a career and perform her role as a mother without having to make several
compromises.
During this period of uncertainty, Aneta became a steady and encouraging sounding board whom her mentee could count on. She recognised that her mentee didn’t need strong steering. What she needed was a safe space to voice her thoughts and someone to test her reasoning with while making important decisions. So Aneta stayed focused on the needs of her mentee, and not on what she had to offer as a mentor, reflecting her intuitive and empathetic style. Soon afterwards, Isabel found a role and company that fit her aspirations and needs.
Finding inspiration in her mentee
While Aneta supported her mentee Isabel in a period of uncertainty, she also found herself learning from the experience. Watching Isabel move seamlessly between motherhood and a thriving professional life inspired Aneta. She was particularly struck by the ease with which Isabel juggled tasks that require different skill sets, from attending to a baby to leading a work call right after that. Aneta was also impressed by the way Isabel confidently asked questions to prospective employers to gain full clarity and transparency on the job offers. It reinforced the point for Aneta that candidates should get their doubts about the role clarified to make an informed decision.
Advice to mentors and mentees on making the best of the program
Drawing from her experience of coaching, Aneta shared thoughtful advice for mentors and mentees. To make the best of a mentoring program, she suggests that mentees decide on challenges and decisions that they would like the support of the mentor on. For mentors too, it is helpful to think beforehand about the kind of advice or support they wish to provide to their mentees. This helps both the mentor and mentee align on their expectations from each other and use their time together to achieve a tangible goal.
While Aneta and her mentee came from similar cultural backgrounds, their personal and professional lives differed. Yet, their mentoring relationship thrived because it was built on trust, empathy and steady support. By creating a space where her mentee could reflect openly and make decisions with confidence, Aneta demonstrated that effective mentoring is less about having common ground or seniority and more about the ability to listen, support and empower others.
Infobox – Key takeaways
- Get clarity on the kind of support you need from your mentor: If you are clear on the kind of support you need from your mentor or the topics you want their advice on, the mentor can tailor their guidance accordingly.
- Mentors should reflect on what kind of support or topics they want to guide the mentee on: Having clarity on the type of support mentors want to provide their mentee facilitates managing expectations in the relationship.
- Giving mentees a safe space to voice thoughts is as important as any other act of mentoring: Mentors play the role of a trusted and steady source of support. Allowing mentees to voice their thoughts and weigh options and decisions without any judgement is an extremely significant act of mentoring.
- Staying focused on the mentee’s needs and not what the mentor has to offer: For a mentor, it is important to use judgement in understanding the kind of support the mentee needs and not impose what the mentor wants to provide their mentee.
- Mentors need not share a common life phase or professional, educational and cultural background to be effective: One can become a successful mentor by deploying active listening, empathy and commitment to supporting a person in spite of not having a common ground to build the relationship on.
The Career Vitality Mentor Program for 2027 will be open for applications from October 2026. To learn about the program or to register your interest, go to the Female Ventures Career Vitality Mentor Program page.
Thank you
Thank you, Aneta, for sharing your experience with us!
Connect with Aneta Lalek on LinkedIn.
Connect with Isabel Bjorge on LinkedIn.
Authorship
This blog is written by Manasi Nikam based on an interview with Aneta Lalek dated July 6, 2026.