What happened when Dara met Andre

Through the programme, which pairs young people with mentors drawn from Media Trust’s network of media and creative professionals, he was hoping to find someone to help him navigate the hugely competitive media industry.

We paired Andre with mentor Dara Nasr, Managing Director of Twitter UK.

Dara’s Story

I’ve mentored people in my office and in my industry, but this has been different. Andre is an amazing guy and I’ve really enjoyed spending time with him. Even though he wants to go into a different industry to me, there are things I can help him with through my own experience like how to negotiate and manage people.

Being a mentor has been hugely enlightening. I think humankind is naturally inclined to help one another, and this is one way I can help. Often the best gifts are the gifts that are easy for the giver to give but very valuable for the receiver to receive. Being a mentor on the programme only takes an hour a month of my time and it doesn’t require a load of preparation. We mostly spend an hour chatting and it gives me an insight into what the likes of Andre and his contemporaries, and probably my own children in 10-15 years time, will be going through at the start of their careers.

Working in our industry you tend to get stuck in a bubble. Mentoring gets you out of that bubble. You remember being a 23 year-old starting out and it makes you even more grateful for the position you’re in. Andre is a total grafter, trying to make it in an industry which is hugely competitive. His level of integrity has been so impressive, and I couldn’t respect him more for that. Seeing how hard he has to fight has taught me that there is nothing wrong with someone of my age fighting that hard as well.

The work Media Trust is doing to support young people getting into the industry is absolutely superb. The single biggest thing that I’ve loved, outside of Andre being a great guy, is the fact that he comes from a totally different walk of life to me.

If you’re not lucky enough to have a wide range of networks or family or friends who work in the industry, it can be difficult to get relevant career advice and guidance. The one thing I would say to other companies considering getting involved is it’s totally worthwhile investing your time and resource in helping to create a more level playing field for the incredible diverse young talent out there.

Andre’s Story

Having Dara as my mentor has given me so much. He’s helped me with key decisions in my career, but I know he’s just there for me generally. It’s incredibly valuable to speak to someone like him with his experience.

Because of the programme, I was able to show my work to someone like Dara who was able to give me critical feedback. I can talk to him like a friend, who just also happens to have this awesome professional experience.

It’s not easy to get access to the media industry. The Transforming Hidden Talent programme gave me a way to get connected to the right people and companies within the industry. It’s brought me opportunity and with more opportunities, you get more chances, and with more chances you get more choices. For a young person starting out in the media industry, the connections Media Trust brings are priceless.