Could you be a near- peer mentor ?
You don’t need to be a senior leader to change someone’s career. Could you be a near-peer mentor?
When WUN launched its mentoring platform, we knew senior leaders would step up & we are hugely grateful their support & insight. What we also know, and what the evidence consistently shows, is that some of the most transformative mentoring doesn’t always come from the top of the career ladder.
It comes from people like you. People who two or more years into a career in utilities People who recently made a move they weren’t sure they could pull off. People who’ve figured out how to thrive in a male-dominated team, navigate a promotion process, or return to work after time away.
That experience – recent, real, hard-won – is genuinely valuable. And right now especially as we launch Early WUN , someone on the WUN platform is looking for exactly this.
We’re looking for near-peer mentors to join the WUN Mentoring Programme.
You don’t need decades of experience. You need a few years, a willingness to reflect, and the generosity to share what you’ve learned. That’s it.
First, let’s bust some myths
We hear the same hesitations from people who would make brilliant near-peer mentors. Here’s what we’d say back.
- THE MYTH
“I’m not senior enough to mentor anyone.”
Near-peer mentoring works precisely because you’re not that senior. Your recent experience is more relevant, more relatable, and often more useful than the view from the top. - THE MYTH
“I don’t have all the answers.”
Good mentors don’t hand out answers – they ask good questions and listen well. You don’t need to know everything. You need to be curious and honest. - THE MYTH
“I haven’t had a conventional career path.”
That’s a strength, not a gap. People navigating unusual paths, career breaks, sector transitions, or non-linear journeys are often exactly the mentors someone needs most. - THE MYTH
“I don’t have the time.”
Near-peer mentoring with the WUN mentoring platform is designed to fit around real working lives. Most mentor relationships involve just one to two hours a month. That’s it.
What you’ll get out of it
This isn’t just giving back, though that matters enormously. Mentoring others is one of the most consistently effective ways to accelerate your own development.
- You’ll develop as a leader
Mentoring someone else builds exactly the skills that define great leaders – listening, asking good questions, thinking beyond your own perspective. Many mentors say it’s the best leadership development they’ve ever had. - You’ll sharpen your own thinking
Explaining your experience to someone else forces you to articulate things you’ve never had to put into words. That process of reflection often surfaces insights about your own career that you hadn’t consciously noticed. - You’ll build your network
Mentoring relationships often become long-term professional connections. You’ll expand your network across the utilities sector, meeting people you might never have encountered in your day-to-day role. - You’ll feel the impact
Watching someone grow in confidence, land a promotion, or successfully navigate a challenge you helped them think through is genuinely meaningful. Mentors consistently rate it as one of the most satisfying things they do professionally. - You’ll strengthen the community
Every mentor who joins WUN makes the platform more powerful for everyone. The more diverse the community, the better matched every mentee will be. Your specific background, whatever it is, fills a gap someone else needs. - You’ll get support
WUN provides resources, guidance, and a community of fellow mentors so you’re never navigating it alone. First-time mentors are welcome and supported.
What the commitment actually looks like
We know your time is precious. Near-peer mentoring on the WU platform is designed to be genuinely sustainable, not another thing that piles onto an already full plate.
1–2 hours per month per mentee You choose how many mentees Flex sessions fit your schedule Pause whenever life requires it
Do you recognise yourself here?
You might be the right near-peer mentor if any of the following sounds like you.
✓ You’re two or more years into your utilities career and feel like you’ve found your footing
✓ You’ve recently navigated something others in the sector are currently facing – a promotion, a transition, a career break, a move into leadership
✓ You remember what it felt like to be earlier in your career and you care about making it easier for the next person
✓ You’re a good listener and you’re genuinely curious about other people’s experiences
✓ You believe the utilities sector needs more women in it and you want to be part of making that happen
You don’t need to tick every box. You just need to recognise enough of yourself to say: yes, I could do this.
“I didn’t feel qualified to mentor anyone. Then I realised the person I needed at that stage of my career wasn’t a senior leader — it was someone who’d just figured out what I was trying to figure out. That’s what I can be for someone else now.”
— WUN Near-Peer Mentor.
We need mentors with all kinds of backgrounds
The WUN platform is only as good as the range of it mentors supporting it. We’re particularly keen to hear from both women & men across the full spectrum of utilities careers to support our Early WUN community of women who are in their early careers, retuning after a break or making a career switch.
- Technical and engineering roles
Network engineers, project managers, operations specialists, and technical leads – your practical knowledge is highly sought after. - Commercial and corporate functions
Finance, legal, procurement, HR, communications – the sector needs mentors who’ve built careers in these areas too. - Career changers and transitioners
If you’ve moved into utilities from another sector or moved within utilities to a very different role, your experience navigating that change is exactly what others need. - Returners and those who’ve taken breaks
If you’ve returned to work after maternity leave, a career pause, or a period of caring and made it work, you are an incredibly valuable voice on this platform.