Is This Your New Career Mentor?

Need a fairy jobmother? We are now two months into our fantastic mentor scheme and we have two amazing, inspirational women who could be just the people to turn your working life around.

Here, they tell us why they want to be your career mentor…

Rebecca Hopkins co-founded natural beauty brand Balance Me with her sister Clare in 2005. It’s now stocked in John Lewis, Waitrose and Debenhams.

‘I’ve always enjoyed the mentoring process and still get advice from Anne Klahn, who was my head of communications at L’Oréal.’

‘It’s exciting to guide people and give them opportunities. I like to inspire people to use their own creative flair - there’s not necessarily a ‘right’ way of doing things.’

‘As long as you understand the business and know your objectives, you’ll get there in your own way.’

Want to be mentored by Rebecca? Apply at marieclaire.co.uk/mentor by 31 May.

Antonia Hurford-Jones is the channel director of Sky Living. She started out as a researcher on BBC Question Time, and spent more than 20 years working in TV production before joining Sky on 2011.

‘My job doesn’t feel like work. I love TV and it feels like the most natural thing in the world to me. I’ve never gone a day in the office without laughing'

‘If you’ve got a proper passion and knowledge of TV, then anything is possible. It’s difficult when people say they want to work in TV, but when you ask them what they watch they say nothing – you think, "Well, what are you doing here, then?"'

‘Making TV should be fun, and I want my team to have a nice time. I probably talk too much, but I hope I’m a good listener, too. People come to me for advice; I try to be as encouraging as possible.’

'You have a responsibility as a woman to be a good role model. It's important to show you can treat people well, behave properly, and still succeed.'

If you would like to have Antonia as your mentor, apply at marieclaire.co.uk/mentor by 30 June.

Successful applicants will get an hour-long mentoring session, followed by a minimum of two further half-hour sessions, over a three-month period.

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