As someone who lost his internship due to COVID-19, I was lost in the sea of information about product management and really wanted to connect with PMs in order to better understand the role and how I could transition myself and how could I build my skills during the summer. Having come across Help Your Peers, I was initially really nervous to apply for 1-1 mentoring due to imposter syndrome. I ended up not applying even though I desperately wanted guidance. Having come across the group mentoring sessions gave me some confidence to apply and only to realize all the mentors that were matched with me were so humble to receive even the silliest of questions and took patience to reply to all of them. Something opposite to my initial assumption that I needed to know a lot in order to attend the sessions. I can confidently say that I have learned more about Product management through Help Your Peers than any other platform.

"Welcome to Microsoft, we are glad to have you on our team.” It felt like a dream come true when my manager started the day one conversation with these kind words as I joined Microsoft. I have always been crystal clear on what I want to do in the next phase of my career. Everything was going well until this year. I strongly felt that the ongoing conversations will soon result in something big until COVID-19 turned the world upside down. I ran out of the leads, came back to square one, and hence started networking aggressively. That’s when I came across Help Your Peers and immediately signed up. The first call with my mentor gave me tremendous confidence to keep pursuing what I had dreamt of, irrespective of the uncertainties in the job market. Help Your Peers website became my go-to place for all the resources on the job-hunting process. Soon I started getting a few calls, and my mentor helped me a lot with the interview preparation. The modifications in the answers suggested by my mentor helped me to be able to articulate my response in a way that brings out the importance of my work and differentiates me from the rest. My joy knew no bounds when I got to know that I converted multiple product manager roles. I am out of words to express my gratitude to this initiative.

I really had a great 1:1 session with my mentor. I really appreciate him taking the time over the weekend to speak to me and provide valuable feedback for the queries I had. I was able to understand my strengths and weaknesses better and changed my perspective towards the roles I should be looking at. I also started thinking from the long term perspective. My mentor also acted a huge motivation for me to help out others in whatever limited capacity I can - if someone senior like him can take time from his busy schedule to speak to help candidates like myself, then I can also pay it forward to others. I look forward to making a positive impact in others life just like my mentor.

I registered for HYP as soon as I heard about it through WIP on Facebook. This mentoring program targeted people impacted by layoffs during COVID-19, but I still kept my fingers crossed, just in case I am matched with a mentor. My biggest challenge was to understand the gap that was keeping me at bay from onsite loop conversion. My mentor not only made me realize the causes of my imposter syndrome but also suggested a pivotal approach that changed my perspective towards the entire process, right from perfecting a resume, to a customized style of preparation. I have always been in search of candid "not one size fits all" feedback that my mentor at HYP provided me, and she suggested a few strategic improvements to my approach too. The confidence boost even before revamping my preparation for future interviews is immense just because my mentor invested time in me.

I came across this initiative in Women in Product FB group. What I immediately liked was how efficient they were - created a form which anyone could fill out answering a few simple questions. After signing up, I got details to join a call. I have to point out that the call took longer than 60 min and not even once I felt that my mentor rushed me through it. He was very attentive, asked questions and offered advice on a few different topics. He immediately explained what my challenges were, what direction he thought would be better for me to take at this time and economic environment. We also went over my resume and I got great tips that I struggled to receive from a paid resume consultant. I left our call with better understanding on steps to take, an encouragement and an offer to write back if I had more questions. And immediately after the call I received an email with links to additional resources. It is an amazing initiative and I am very grateful that m took time and effort to go over my challenges and to provide advice. My mentor provided actionable feedback regarding my resume, quick to respond, and demonstrated deep empathy throughout the process.

I was matched with an amazing mentor for my PM career and he shared a lot of his past experiences with me. He proactively offered help and guided me through my career decisions at different stages. I don't think I could grow so much without his support and mentorship. In order to help more people in the PM industry, he also created a Youtube channel to share his experience and learning. I believe the people who want to enter the PM industry and just start the PM career will benefit a lot from his sessions. In addition, I also want to express my appreciation to the "Help Your Peers" platform which gave me the opportunity to know and learn from those great mentors.

From the beginning, Help Your Peers has been an invaluable and incredible resource. My mentor is kind, generous, and the kind of mentor who doesn't just give tidbits of wisdom, but one who is so invested in your success that she takes you by the hand and shows you which way to go and how. This has been a life-changing experience, and I am very optimistic that I will be able to achieve my goal of becoming a Product Manager specifically because of Help Your Peers and the insightful coaching from my mentor. You are changing lives - and I am so grateful to be a part of it! Thank you!

I have been receiving a tremendous help and support from my mentor. He helped me with my resume and reshaped my story to highlight my strengths. And what is more important, he boosted my enthusiasm and self esteem. I am so grateful for this amazing experience. What a great initiative! It brings such a heartwarming feeling during this tough time. As soon as I find my job, I will join mentors to help others. I am working hard and I definitely have a lot of things to share!

It was great. My mentor was patient to send emails before hand to ask my specific requirement and made sure it was addressed on the call. She also stayed beyond the agreed time frame of the call to ensure that all my questions were answered and added me on LinkedIn to stay in touch. This call was very encouraging and brought back the confidence in me which I had lost.