I was born and raised in New Delhi, India. I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2015, and afterwards I moved to London to pursue an MBA degree from Imperial College. Over the last 8 years, I have worked at large corporations, such as KPMG and EY, medium sized organisations as well as start-ups across India and the UK. I live in London with my husband Shashank, and I work for a British management consulting firm.
I guide and mentor young students who are struggling to make key decisions for their careers. As a career coach, I help my students develop a vision for their future and assess the options available to them to get there. I ask them questions that they don't usually ask themselves and assist them in thinking through the answers on what they truly want from their professional lives.
1. Tell us more about your journey and background.
My name is Mehar Sindhu Batra, I was born and raised in New Delhi, India. I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2015, and afterwards I moved to London to pursue an MBA degree from Imperial College. Over the last 8 years, I have worked at large corporations, such as KPMG and EY, medium sized organisations as well as start-ups across India and the UK. I live in London with my husband Shashank, and I work for a British management consulting firm.
In the evenings after work and over the weekends, I guide and mentor young students who are struggling to make key decisions for their careers. It all started in the summer of 2019 through one YouTube video with the intention of just helping young professionals by sharing lessons and insights from my own professional journey. The love and positive feedback that I received from hundreds of viewers motivated me to keep creating more content.
Over the last 1.5 years, I have created dozens of videos and worksheets, hosted interviews, sessions and workshops that are free resources available to my community whenever they feel like they are struggling with any one particular topic. We are now a fast growing community of 30,000+ across different digital platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. And this is only just the beginning. My vision is to keep creating tools to help and impact the lives of 1 million+ students over the next 2 years.
2. How can a career coach help someone take a more informed decision?
As a career coach, I help my students develop a vision for their future and assess the options available to them to get there. I ask them questions that they don't usually ask themselves and assist them in thinking through the answers on what they truly want from their professional lives.
I am very action-oriented, I give a lot of homework - so at the end of each session with me, the student has a clear list of tasks that equips them to make the right decisions. My duty is to guide them, inspire them, motivate them - but eventually they are the ones who need to put in the effort and do the work in the direction of their dreams.
3. How do you go about assessing someone and making recommendations?
Every student is unique. Everyone's path is different. Everyone has a dream that's close to their heart. I take my time to understand the background and struggles of each of my students. The recommendations I based on a number of such factors. I am a career coach, not a counsellor or therapist.
I inspire them to remember their strengths and focus on their uniqueness to become the best version of themselves. I also don't disappear after the session is over. I'm always just a message away to provide that support along each step of their way. I like to call myself their "speed-dial mentor".
4. What according to you are key differences between studying in India vs abroad?
As a CA student, all my coursework was theoretical. I was sitting at a desk in the corner of my home for months at a stretch - rote learning, trying to keep myself motivated to clear a set of 16 extremely difficult exams. I didn't have much university experience. That's what I missed.
4. What according to you are key differences between studying in India vs abroad?
As a CA student, all my coursework was theoretical. I was sitting at a desk in the corner of my home for months at a stretch - rote learning, trying to keep myself motivated to clear a set of 16 extremely difficult exams. I didn't have much university experience. That's what I missed.
I craved for that practical learning experience - interacting and gaining knowledge in a classroom filled with students from different backgrounds. That's why I decided to apply for an MBA abroad and study amongst classmates from nearly 30 countries at Imperial College London.
I personally feel the Indian education system needs a massive makeover. And I hope someday, I am able to bring about just 1% of that change through my initiatives.
I personally feel the Indian education system needs a massive makeover. And I hope someday, I am able to bring about just 1% of that change through my initiatives.
5. How can one decide if they need to go and see a career coach?
As young students we are confused about our ultimate professional goal and also unaware of the different options available to us to achieve that goal. That's where a career coach can come in and provide the right support to create a roadmap for you towards success.
As a teenager, I craved guidance and mentorship to make important career decisions as the only career advice I ever got was from my parents and extended family.
And it's the same even today. Many young students are dealing with huge amounts of anxiety due to societal, parental or peer pressure. As a career coach I give an outsider's perspective and make them more self-aware and confident to build a brand for themselves that truly reflects their passions and personality. And as Bill Gates said ‘Everyone needs a coach.’ There is no harm in seeking that advice, help and support if it makes things easier for you.
And it's the same even today. Many young students are dealing with huge amounts of anxiety due to societal, parental or peer pressure. As a career coach I give an outsider's perspective and make them more self-aware and confident to build a brand for themselves that truly reflects their passions and personality. And as Bill Gates said ‘Everyone needs a coach.’ There is no harm in seeking that advice, help and support if it makes things easier for you.
6. Which is your favourite book and why?
The book that changed my life and the way I think is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The main message of the book is that we have the capability of achieving anything we set our minds to.
So once you have a goal in mind, never give up. Be grateful for what you already have in life but work hard towards what you truly want from life. That's exactly the kind of thinking I try to inculcate amongst my community and students.
- Interviewed by - Pratika Dahal
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