Career Coaching: How Mehar Transitioned From Finance to Mentorship

Career coaching helps individuals looking for guidance and support in their work endeavors, whether it be job searching, switching careers, or starting their own business. 

On episode 13 of An Entrepreneur’s Vibes Podcast, the featured guest and entrepreneur is Mehar Sindhu Batra, a seasoned career coach, mentor, chartered accountant, and businesswoman. Through her company, MSB Vision, Mehar has guided and supported over 15,000 professionals to achieve their fullest career potential. Over the years, she has empowered thousands of young professionals, not just through her company but also with her online platform, where she shares tips and advice on navigating the corporate world. 

Find out more about Mehar’s entrepreneurial journey, how she transitioned from the corporate world to building her own successful business, and learn why having a professional career coach could mean all the difference to achieving your success.

Mehar Sindhu Batra’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Mehar Sindhu Batra was born and raised in New Delhi, India, and was raised with the South Asian mentality of prioritizing education and working hard. She remembers growing up and having to “hustle hard” to become a straight-A student. Her earliest goal was to get into the best possible university and pursue her degree in chartered accountancy. “It was one of the toughest periods of my life”, Mehar shares as she looks back on her time in university. 

Not only was Mehar pursuing one of the most difficult degrees, but she also already started working at KPMG, making her earlier journey to entrepreneurship quite challenging. “I started working when I was 19, 20 years old,” Mehar shares. Being raised in a very close-knit family, she accredited her ability to officially become a chartered accountant to her family. 

Because of her experience in the corporate world, Mehar quickly realized that there was something more she was craving. She shares on the podcast, “While I was working and studying, I realized, I’m meant to do something more creative than just putting numbers on a screen or auditing numbers.” Mehar started feeling monotony in her day-to-day schedule but still felt like the day she got her chartered accountant qualification back in 2015 was one of the happiest days in her and her family’s life.

All About MSB Vision

Mehar’s career coaching journey began when she moved to the UK. She made a career pivot from finance to strategy. It was because of her move that she connected with people who sought her advice. She says, “I used to get a lot of messages from students on LinkedIn asking me about my career path.” The messages started to become repetitive, and she realized that there might be a gap in the market she could fill by providing valuable advice. So one day, she decided to film a YouTube video and talked about her wins and losses over the years. “At the time,” Mehar begins, “not many people were talking about their career journeys.” What fueled her from keeping up with the videos was the amount of positivity she received from her audience. It all peaked during the pandemic when people had more time on their hands and her videos started going viral. She began coaching and holding free workshops.

MSB Vision, a company named after her, was born from the idea of helping people and providing mentorship – Mentorship that Mehar herself didn’t receive. She had to navigate through moving and switching career paths and now wanted to help her community do the same. 

It felt like an unusual career path, but Mehar says building MSB vision was truly meant to “empower young professionals to tap into their true potential and go after the careers they want.” Today, MSB Vision provides one-on-one career coaching service with a career consultant, workshops, courses, and mentorship programs, and holds events for their community. Mehar also continues to share online content as a free resource to those who need it, sharing tips on how to achieve “corporate confidence”. And to the vision behind the company, Mehar says, “I talk about career satisfaction and finding and creating a career that you really love. I feel everybody has the power to create a career they really love.” If Mehar has done so successfully, she now helps her community do that as well. 

The Importance of Career Coaching

Career coaching or corporate coaching can be especially beneficial for people who learn well when they have mentors. A good career coach can help you define your career goals, plan moves, help overcome obstacles, identify your strengths and weaknesses, talk you through ideas, explore decisions, and strengthen connections in the corporate world. 

For example, something MSB Vision can help with is getting over “imposter syndrome”. Career coach Mehar would say that it’s common to feel impostor syndrome and that even the most successful people can have feelings of self-doubt. Her advice would be to prepare yourself before doing a task you feel nervous about. She says you can do background checks, research, talk to people in the industry, and get some experience. 

For Mehar, she had to go through the hardships to overcome them, which allows her to now share those insights. Advice she would have for people who didn’t have her same experiences would be to learn what the experts do right and wrong. Preparation leaves less room for doubt, and you should challenge yourself whenever you have negative thoughts. Mehar says to try not to speak negatively; instead, affirm yourself with thoughts like “I’m learning” or “I’m capable”. 

This is just one example of what a good career coach can help with.

 

Mehar’s Tips For Moving and Working Overseas

1. Be sure of “why” you’re moving
   
   One of Mehar’s first tips for anyone considering moving and working abroad is to be very sure. Moving countries is essentially uprooting yourself, and it’s something that isn’t supposed to be taken lightly. Mehar says, “Don’t move because your friends are also going to a country,” and just because everyone’s going to Canada, for example, doesn’t mean you should follow suit. Moving abroad should be a personal decision that you decide with many factors involved, like if it’s completely necessary for your personal growth or career.  
2. Prepare for the move
   
   Moving and working abroad isn’t just like any ordinary trip. Even if you’re just going on vacation, you plan, even more so for a more permanent move. Mehar says, “Know that it’s going to take time to feel like home.” Set reasonable expectations when you’re moving and understand that it’s probably not going to be easy, but if you take the steps to prepare beforehand, it will, at the very least, feel less chaotic.  
3. Take it easy
   
   Mehar says her number one advice is to take it easy. She says, “It’s going to take time for you to feel like you belong. You have to connect with people, understand the nuances, the culture, how people communicate, how things are done, how work is conducted, and give yourself some time, guts, and grace.” From her personal experience in moving to the UK, Mehar says that people there are very friendly, helpful, and supportive. To others like her thinking of moving to the UK, she says locals love hearing their stories – where they’re from, what they’re doing, and that they are very inclusive.  
4. Learn to deal with homesickness
   
   One of the biggest challenges a person moving abroad will face, according to Mehar, is homesickness. But she does have ways to cope and reduce those feelings of longing and loneliness. She says that initially, you’ll get too caught up in the excitement of the move to feel it, but it will hit hard, especially on special occasions. “Make time for them”, is Mehar’s advice, saying that there are plenty of options to connect with loved ones at home, like FaceTime and audio calls. She says, “Make time for the people who were there in the early parts of your career and your journey.” It should also be a conscious effort for people who have moved to create new support systems and have people they can rely on in their new home while simultaneously keeping those you’ve left at home close to your heart.  
5. Adapt to your new surroundings
   
   Not only will people who move abroad be thrust into a new environment, they will also have to adapt to new work cultures. Mehar says these are things that you eventually learn on the job. To adapt, though, she says, “You can talk to people who worked in that country for a while to understand the little things. Read books, listen to podcasts, read articles about the culture norms and traditions.” Mehar says that depending on the country, they might also treat women differently, so it’s important to bear that in mind while making sure to observe how locals behave and try to mimic that as best as you can. 

Listen To An Entrepreneur’s Vibes Podcast Episode 13

Want to hear more career coaching tips from the expert herself? There’s more over on YouTube and Spotify, where you can listen to Mehar’s full episode. She goes more in-depth about her move to the UK and how she coped with the changes in her environment while talking about building “corporate confidence” and more. 

The Write Direction is also a platform that provides assistance for professionals all around the world; whether it’s custom business plans or manuals you need updated at work, we have a full suite of professional services ready to take you on your entrepreneurial journey. 

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:00:00] Of course, we’re having internal thoughts of negativity. You need to challenge it. You need to take action against it. If you repeat to yourself, “I’m so stupid. I’ll never get this right,” You have to question it, and challenge it, and say something like, “No, I’m learning. I’m capable.”

Patricia [00:00:25] Welcome back to An Entrepreneur’s Vibes, the podcast that gives insight into the minds of visionary entrepreneurs and business leaders brought to you by The Write Direction, a leading professional and technical writing company based in North America. Each episode we explore the stories and experiences of those who dared to dream, took the leap, and built their own empires. Join us in uncovering the secrets to success and lessons learned along the way. So if you’re just starting out your entrepreneurial journey or you’re already a seasoned business pro, you’ll find inspiration, knowledge, and good vibes right here. Today, we’re thrilled to have the visionary founder and CEO of MSB Vision. She is a seasoned career coach, mentor, and entrepreneur with over eight years of experience at top tier companies and dynamic startups across India and the UK. As a chartered accountant and MBA from Imperial College, she has mentored over 15,000 professionals, helping them navigate their careers and achieve their full potential. Through MSB Vision, she empowers young professionals with tools and strategies to excel in their careers and make impactful changes in their lives. Join us as we dive into her journey, her insights on career development and the transformative impact of her work. Welcome to the show, Mehar Sindhu Batra. Hi!

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:01:40] Thank you so much for that lovely introduction, Patricia! It’s an honor to be here.

Patricia [00:01:43] Of course, it’s an honor to have you. How are you doing today?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:01:47] I’m good, thank you! I’m not ready for fall yet. So it’s like fall weather in London. It’s getting chilly. But also, how are you doing?

Patricia [00:01:55] Great, thank you! We’re so excited to have this conversation today. And I wanted to ask you first and foremost to tell us about your early life in New Delhi, where you’re originally from, and your career journey leading up to your career in accounting.

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:02:09] Sure. So I am from New Delhi, India. I was born and raised there, lived there all my life. Two very dedicated, hardworking parents. And it’s a very Asian mentality to have your kids do really well, and that was the mentality back in the 90s. So and I’m sure it still is. But but my parents really made me and my sister hustle hard and really, you know, become straight-A students. So I was always a straight-A student. I wanted to get into the best university and do the best degree, and that’s why I decided to do chartered accountancy along with my college degree. And it was one of the toughest periods of my life. It was a very tough degree. It’s one of the most difficult exams to crack in the world. And it was a set of 16 papers that I had to crack. And during that time I started working with one of the big companies called KPMG. It’s a big four. And so I started working when I was 19, 20 years old. I was very, very young at the time. And I think me becoming a chartered accountant, all the credit goes to my parents, because it is a qualification that sort of gives you a job security for life. While I was working and studying, I realized, you know, I’m meant to do something as a more creative than just putting numbers on a screen or auditing numbers. And day to day, it started to get really monotonous for me. So I started to think, “Okay, what do I want to do next?” But yeah, the chartered accountancy degree is really, really precious to me, because it taught me some valuable lessons. I faced failure for the first time in my career when I was trying to give those competitive exams, and I qualified as a chartered accountant. And finally in 2015, and it was the happiest day of my life and my parents and my grandfather, everybody was so happy. We were crying and bawling our eyes out. But yeah, it was a very special day, because it meant a couple of years of struggle to get that qualification.

 

Patricia [00:04:08] [00:04:08]I’m sure it was. And I mean, we might have some willing accountants out there who, you know, want to take the exams as well. Do you have any advice for them? How do you got through all those exams years ago? [12.0s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:04:21] [00:04:21]I think it comes down to practicing a lot of questions and really figuring out what is asked, what is important, and getting your basics right. And I feel you really need to have a passion for the subject to succeed. It’s when I started to make studying fun is when I cleared my exams. So I think you really have to enjoy it. You really have to want it. Don’t get into it just because of, you know, parental pressure or societal pressure or, you know, having that badge of honor. I feel it’s a long career if you’re going down that path. It’s a degree that needs a lot of commitment and self inner motivation. So, yeah, that’s my advice. [43.5s]

Patricia [00:05:06] And earlier, you were talking about the company that you worked for. Could you tell us how you began your career at KPMG in [00:05:13]E&Y? [0.0s] And what are some of the key experiences that you took from your time there?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:05:19] Sure. So I was really young when I went for my first interview. I didn’t even know how to make a CV. I randomly looked at the format on the internet and just, you know, made some random bullet points. I had no experience at the time. And I went to the offices in person and dropped my CV off at the reception. And that was something very unusual, I feel, but it really worked for me, because I got to know, when I went to one of these offices, I got the HR’s email address, and I sent them my CV, and then they called me for an interview. I had 3 full rounds of interviews. I was just so honored to be a part of one of these big companies, you know. I just loved the hustle. I love the glass buildings, and, you know, everything was so international, and everything was so proper. Everybody was dressed in sharp suits, you know, well done hair, and and they knew what they were talking about. And clients coming in all these big companies, client representatives were sitting in the reception all the time. So it was just very fascinating to me. And and to be able to get into this company on my own feet, I felt really very proud of myself at a very young age. And I think that the first few years of my career were tough, because I like I said, I stopped enjoying my degree too much, but these companies really teach you a lot, you know. It’s like the highest level of deliverables, highest quality of deliverables that you need to give to your clients. So they expect world class from their employees. So it really taught me attention to detail. It taught me how to communicate with people. It taught me how to, you know, manage so many things that were going on, studying, working, all that. I think it’s a great place to start your career, because it gives you a great foothold and a foundation for the rest of your life.

Patricia [00:07:07] I see that happening, because a lot of the other entrepreneurs that I’ve spoken to, you know, they all had their careers in corporate, and they eventually realized that “I think I want to do something more creative.” But you learn everything of how to run a business from a huge corporation itself. So I wanted to ask you, like, [00:07:25]what prompted the shift from a corporate career to becoming an entrepreneur and founding MSB Vision? [5.9s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:07:32] [00:07:32]I think, Patricia, I always knew within me that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. You know, like how you have that inner calling somehow. So when I was a teenager, and if you look at my diary entries back then, I was always like, you know, I want to help people. I want to do something that makes an impact. I have so many new business idea that I was presenting to my mom every other day, you know. I was always bubbling with ideas and this fire to do something of my own. So I think the shift was very natural. Because I had to complete my degree, I sometimes felt stuck, and I felt frustrated, because I didn’t have a creative outlet. And eventually when I did start as MSB Vision, it was as a side hustle because I was working at a strategy consulting firm at the time, and I just needed that, you know. 5 to 9 p.m. was my time to do my thing, and I think the shift was very natural. I didn’t realize at the time when everything was preparing me to get to where I had to be. [55.6s]

Patricia [00:08:28] [00:08:28]That sounds perfect. And could you share with us some of the major challenges that you faced when starting MSB Vision, and how did you overcome those challenges? [7.0s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:08:36] [00:08:36]I think one of the biggest challenges is that entrepreneurship is really lonely. I feel that, you know, when you’re in the corporates, your friends are also doing similar jobs and, you know, you have people to talk to, you can take advice from. But I was the only entrepreneur in my generation, and in my family, and amongst all my friends. So it was just really lonely, and I didn’t know how to navigate the day to day. So, you know, building my network, building my team, figuring out how to negotiate with clients, it was a new industry for me. So I didn’t know, you know, every step along the way. There was no handholding, I would say, in entrepreneurship. And, you know, you quit your 9 to 5 to work 24 seven. So it’s a lot of hard work. And eventually, after two months of launching my business and getting into it full time, I completely burned out. I went into this zombie mode where I couldn’t work anymore because I was putting my heart and soul into creating something that I was building. So yeah, I think entrepreneurship is tricky, especially the first few years, because you’re still figuring out whether what you’re doing is right or wrong and you have no one there with you. [69.9s]

Patricia [00:09:47] Would you have done anything different to stop yourself from getting burnt out, or would you have just like let the whole thing happen the way it did?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:09:54] I think I needed better systems in place. I needed some stronger team members that I could delegate stuff to. I’m sort of a perfectionist, so I’m not okay until everything is, you know, because again, in my experience from KPMG is that attention to detail, so I always want everything to be the best. And that’s why I take a lot of burden on myself. So yeah, maybe I would have hired better experts or, you know, just better systems, better tools and realize that, you know, it comes with balance. You can’t work so hard for so many days and then suddenly go into limbo in the next month.

Patricia [00:10:34] [00:10:34]Well, for everyone out there listening, could you please tell us like what MSB Vision is as a company, what it stands for and how it was created? [7.3s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:10:43] [00:10:43]MSB Vision was born, because I – so I’m somebody who’s moved countries. I’ve sort of pivoted my career from finance to strategy. I worked at some big companies. I worked at smaller companies. I’ve done an MBA at one of the top schools in the UK. So I used to get a lot of messages from students on LinkedIn asking me about my career path, asking me about my journey. So I was like, “Okay, why am I getting these repetitive messages? Maybe there is, you know, maybe there’s a gap in the market that I need to fill.” So, I just randomly thought I’d make one YouTube video about my journey, and I just sat in front of my camera, like it was my iPhone 10 or something at the time, and I recorded myself, and I just shared. But I think what was different was that I talked about my failures as well as my successes. And at that time, when I started in 2019, not many people were talking about their career journeys. It was not a very common thing as it is now on TikTok, YouTube, etcetera. So I got a lot of attention, I got a lot of positivity, I got a lot of cheerleading, and that’s what fueled me to keep creating more and more videos. And I was in a full time job at that time. So it was it was literally my, you know, my community, my place where I could just be who I was, and all my creative energies flow into that direction. And then in the pandemic, of course, everybody had extra time. And that’s when things picked up. Like, I went viral. I created videos every single day. I was coaching people, and coaching students, and doing all these free workshops, working with charities, all of that I did. So, I just sit down. It never felt like work, because it was so fun. So MSB Vision was born with this idea that I want to help people get the mentorship I didn’t get when I was navigating my career. I did not have the right career advice. Of course, your parents can guide you, but they only know so much, right? They don’t know what exactly is going on right now in the market, in the industry, and they come with their own preconceived notions, and expectations, and all of that. So I really had that gap because I had an unusual career path at the time. So yeah, it was just to empower young professionals to tap into their true potential and really go after the careers that they really want. So it was through workshops, courses, coaching, one on one. You know, we did cohort based courses. We’ve done a lot of events where we met the community, and of course, there’s a lot of online content and free resources that we’ve shared with our audience. So that’s what MSB Vision does hopefully and continues to do for many years to come. But our vision is – I think it’s pivoted a little bit now. I talk about career satisfaction and finding and creating a career that you really love. So I feel everybody has the power to create a career that they really love. [172.4s]

Patricia [00:13:36] I really feel like it’s an amazing platform, and it’s much needed, especially now. There are so many young people out there who don’t have the resources and, you know, want to learn from someone who has been through something that they want to achieve themselves, want to be an accountant, maybe want to move countries and study abroad. So I think that’s like amazing that you handed out these resources, and now it’s able to become a full company. I wanted to ask, since you brought up that you had people reach out to you via LinkedIn, the impact of social media on the success of MSB Vision. [00:14:07]How do you think the Instagram page of MSB Vision or even your personal LinkedIn contributed to the growth of your community and your brand? [8.0s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:14:16] [00:14:16]It’s on social media, right? Like it’s literally – we wouldn’t exist unless there was social media. I think what I realized was that if I want to get information out there to a lot of people, you have to be on social media, right? Like if I do one on one coaching, that’s impacting one person’s life, but I can spend those two hours creating a video that can reach to 20,000 people, for example. So for me, it was just, you know, Patricia, I used to get messages from people in the remotest parts of India, like smallest villages, saying that one video changed their life, you know? So I was like, “Oh my God, what am I doing? I must be doing something right, and I want to help more people get jobs and ace their interviews,” and all of that was going through my mind. So, I feel it was a very overwhelming feeling, which wouldn’t exist without the power of social media. LinkedIn I started using much later because I was – I think I had some imposter syndrome to talk on that platform. And only recently, about a year ago, is when I started to, you know, really voice what I’m thinking, feeling and going through. But yeah, Instagram has really helped me get where I am. And of course YouTube is the first social media channel that we started with, and it’s always going to be special. [72.8s]

Patricia [00:15:30] You brought up having imposter syndrome, and I feel like a lot of people would relate to that, especially if they want to do something, but they’re afraid that maybe they don’t have the right knowledge about it or maybe no one’s going to listen to them. [00:15:42]Would you have anything to say for anyone out there who might want to start their own business but feel like they have imposter syndrome? [5.8s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:15:49] [00:15:49]I want to say that it’s very, very common. So you’re not the only one going through it. You know, some of the most successful people have these negative self-doubting thoughts all the time, and what they do is they just take action against it. So, for example, if I’m giving a talk for the first time on stage in front of 200 people, I’m going to have jitters. I’m going to question my capabilities and my, you know, experience to actually go and stand there, but you have to push yourself through. And after that, you know, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. So after you do that difficult task is when you, you know, feel proud of yourself. But I think as an entrepreneur, I would just say if you’re having any kind of self-doubt, there are a couple of things you can do. First is maybe do your background check. You know, what is the industry that you’re getting into. Talk to people in that industry. Get some experience. For me, Patricia, it was a little easy because I was sharing what I had been through, right? So it was literally just mirroring my experience, again, for somebody who was maybe five years behind me. But if let’s say you want to start a logistics business or you want to start a transportation business, go and work in a company or work with a company that does that, and learn what they do right, what they don’t do right. That will help you reduce your doubt. And of course, if you’re having internal thoughts of negativity, you need to challenge it. You need to take action against it. If you repeat to yourself, “I’m so stupid, I’ll never get this right,” you have to question it, and challenge it, and say something like, “No, I’m learning. I’m capable.” Some of the brightest entrepreneurs today are college dropouts, right? That’s what you have to tell yourself, and convince yourself, and fake it till you make it, as they say. [99.5s]

Patricia [00:17:29] And that’s a really great advice and definitely something that you should, you know, take to heart. You start to become what you believe you are, and words are very powerful, so you always have to, like, check yourself when you’re having those kinds of thoughts. It’s really great advice. Thank you. [00:17:44]And your company is very rooted in community building. So I wanted to ask, like if you have any strategies you’d like to share that you use to build and create a very engaged community. [9.2s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:17:54] [00:17:54]I listen to my audience a lot. So I try to read all comments. I try to reply to as many number of messages that I can possibly. Nobody else from the team. It’s me. And I like to understand what are the struggles that they’re going through and then come up with a video idea, “Oh my God, I need to be talking about this.” Like, for example, I recently made a video on getting a promotion at work as an introvert, and then there was a comment on favoritism and office politics, and that’s my next video. You know, so these are the things that we are all dealing with. So I think as a community, a community backs you if you listen to them, if they can relate to you. So I feel each of my followers is a semi reflection of who I am as a person. I’m a very positive person, and I try to, you know, be as humble as I can and also share the truth, what’s going on in the workplace, etcetera. So I feel like they resonate with that. And I think your vibe attracts your tribe, right? So, that’s one of the things that I definitely do, and I try to send a lot of [64.8s] [00:18:59]wise notes. [0.3s] [00:19:00]I do a lot of Instagram stories, videos, etcetera, and then we do offline stuff like community meetups, etcetera, which we try to do once a year. [8.1s]

Patricia [00:19:09] Could you tell me more about the community meetups that you do? What do those entail? How do you invite people to come and what do they get out of these like meetups?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:19:18] Sure. So my intention is again, to create a place where people come together and talk about their struggles and, you know, what they’re going through in their careers specifically. So when we do a meetup, it’s very casual. We announce it on Instagram, and YouTube, and LinkedIn, and people sign up, and it’s a free event. There’s no charge or anything. We want people to come meet each other. And I always organize food, and games, and you know, things to actually reflect on. So we had a meetup here in the UK, and it was a picnic in the park, you know. It was really cute. And we were all talking about what made us move here, and how’s it been finding a job, and what are the struggles, etcetera, and when they started following MSB Vision, and what they’ve learned from the community, from being a part of the community. It was really, really nice, and people interacted, networked with each other, helped each other, stayed in touch afterwards. So yeah, that’s the whole point and purpose of bringing people together because I feel online is great, because you can reach a lot of people, but offline is important because you bring people closer.

Patricia [00:20:23] That’s amazing. Like actually bringing the community together instead of just being online. And you were talking about you guys discussing how it is moving and living abroad. I wanted to ask some few questions about that since it’s usually a topic you discuss. [00:20:38]What advice do you have for young professionals considering locating to UK for work or study? [5.8s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:20:45] [00:20:45]Firstly, like I would say, wherever you’re moving, always be very sure of why you’re moving there. Don’t move because your friends are also going to a country. Everybody is going to Canada doesn’t mean you need to go to Canada. Everybody’s coming to the UK, doesn’t mean you also need to. You see, be very, very sure, “Okay, what am I going to get if I move to this country that I’m not going to get in my current home country?” Right? So be very sure of why the move is necessary for your career, for your growth or whatever it may be. And then before you go start prepping a little bit, know that it’s going to take time to feel like home. You know, it’s not going to be suddenly a major shift. It’s going to take time for you to feel like you belong. You have to connect with people. You have to understand the nuances, the culture, how people communicate, how things are done, how work is conducted, and give yourself some time, and guts, and give yourself some grace, I would say. Like, just relax, and take it easy. That’s my number one advice. And the UK otherwise is really friendly. People here, they’re very helpful. They’re very supportive. And they like to know your story. They want to know where you’re from, what you’ve done, and it’s very inclusive in that way. The people in London, I live in London, and there are people from 150 countries here or something. So, it’s really a melting pot of cultures and different communities. [76.9s]

Patricia [00:22:03] Yeah, I think one of the biggest challenges too, is adapting to a new culture, right? [00:22:08]When you’re trying to relocate to a new country, I wanted to ask you, like, how can individuals adapt to a new work culture when moving to a different country? [9.8s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:22:19] [00:22:19]That’s something you sort of learn on the job, I feel. But yeah, again, you can talk to people who worked in that country for a while, you know, try to understand the little, little things. Read books, listen to podcasts, read articles online. So, for example, somebody moving to India, you know, you would have to read about some culture norms and traditions, etcetera, how festivals are important. Treating women in the workplace is also very different from country to country, so that’s also very important to bear in mind, and read about, and do your research before, you know, you make a fool of yourself. And also on your first few days at work in a new country, observe the seniors, observe people who are local, how they’re behaving, how they’re speaking, and try to mimic that a little bit. [44.5s]

Patricia [00:23:04] I think that’s like really great advice. I think there’s a lot of like challenges that people fail to consider when they want to move. And, you know, it’s a very hard thing to get over, like from living somewhere else and then moving to a different country, not just living there, but working there. So I wanted to ask, [00:23:22]what else are the common challenges that expatriates face, and how do you think they can effectively manage them? [5.0s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:23:28] [00:23:28]I think homesickness is a big one, because you’re so excited to move your base that you don’t realize that it’s going to be such a big shift. And then in the little moments, you miss home, you miss the special occasions, you miss your family, your childhood friends, all of that. So, homesickness is definitely one. How I would say you can [19.8s] [00:23:48]cope with that or reduce that. [0.8s] [00:23:49]It’s just like keeping in touch with the people who always supported you, right? Make time for them. There’s FaceTime, audio calls, all of that now. So, make time for people who were there in the early parts of your career and your journey. So, be there and never forget where you come from. That’s important. And then I would say I think the second one is it takes time for it to start feeling like home. So, you need to build your support system. People who you can count on, people who are maybe from your home country or, you know, that keep you close to home in some way. I feel that these are the two big challenges that I think I faced. [37.4s]

Patricia [00:24:28] [00:24:28]And how can young professionals identify and seize career opportunities in international markets? [5.6s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:24:35] [00:24:35]Oh wow. That’s so important. Again, it’s very different in every country. In the UK especially, let’s talk about the UK, a lot of it comes through networking. And when I say networking, it means reaching out to people online or offline like literally going for events, meeting people who are part of these different companies, asking them about their stories, asking them about their journeys, and then maybe asking for a referral. People want to help each other here, but it takes time. You can’t just send two messages on LinkedIn and give up, right? It has to be a volume game, and you have to keep going, and you have to be relentlessly applying and having that really strong willpower and perseverance to keep going. I think finding a job is a full time job, and especially if you are starting in a new industry, in a new location. It’s going to be, you know, a bigger struggle. So, for example, when I was interviewing in London, I got an offer for a position lower than what I was interviewing for. So I was interviewing for a senior consultant. They said, [55.9s] [00:25:31]no government [0.1s] [00:25:31]is consultant, because you have no experience in the local market, and we need to test if you have the knowledge. And you know, that’s a decision that I made. Like, you have to see what are the compromises you’re willing to make to get the career you want. I really wanted this job, because it was my dream company, and I was like, “Okay, fine. It’s a short term pain for long term gain.” So, that’s what you have to think and evaluate, because if you’re starting in a new country, you may have to make those decisions. You really have to be, you know, okay with going with the flow a little bit. [30.7s]

Patricia [00:26:02] [00:26:02]Yeah, I mean, that is adapting all in its own. And I think it was really great also that you brought up earlier, you were actually going to these companies and applying yourself, because I think that’s still a really great sound advice to do. Like, it’s one thing to send an online resume, and it’s another thing to like really show up and have the initiative to go there in person and say, I’m interested in an opportunity here. So, I think that’s like really great advice. One of the other things that you talk about on your platform is corporate confidence. So I wanted to ask some questions about that. And what are your top tips for building confidence in a corporate environment? [37.4s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:26:41] [00:26:41]You know, Patricia, I mean, [0.8s] [00:26:42]that’s easy, [0.2s] [00:26:42]because I didn’t have confidence. My confidence started to come much later in my career. So, the first few years, I was really, you know, like really, I would say, immersed in self-doubt and imposter syndrome, that it took me time to break out of that shell. I knew I was meant to do something great, and I knew I was meant to shine into the brightest version of myself. I was just unable to do so. So this series is literally to help people get out of that shell and understand, you know, it is possible to become confident in the workplace if you do these things. So, I feel firstly, it’s about voicing your experience and your opinions. That’s something that I did not do. Like, I used to struggle speaking up in team meetings, because I had so much self-doubt. So, let’s say I’m thinking about an idea, and I’m thinking, “I’m going to say it. I’m going to say it,” and then somebody else says it, you know? So, that used to frustrate me. And I think later, when I became more confident, when I got promoted, when I got recognized for my work, my experience, that’s when I started speaking up a little bit more. I think confidence comes from – I think confidence is a muscle, right? You need to work on it, and you need to take baby steps every single day. So, let’s say you are struggling with – it could be anything. Let’s say you’re starting to speak up team meetings. You need to start small, maybe do one on one catch ups, and become comfortable with your team members, and then go into a larger – and when you go into the larger meeting, and you know everybody personally, and then you’ll be more comfortable speaking up. Another thing you can do is, you know, start small family gatherings or friends gatherings and say you want to give a speech, or you want to impromptu do something funny, or take the lead on something. So I feel that confidence, again, it takes time, but it’s a journey. It’s a very personal journey. When it comes to the workplace, you just have to be sure of and remember that, you know, you were hired for a reason. You gave all the interviews, your CV was accepted. You are somebody who deserves a seat on the table. That’s what [111.6s] [00:28:35]Sheryl Sandberg [0.0s] [00:28:35]says in her book, you know, “you deserve a seat at the table.” So remember that, and never forget that, because sometimes we forget, you know. There’s this really interesting thing is that when, I think we hit – we are hit with imposter syndrome when we join a new workplace, because we look at all these people like, “Oh my God, They’re really so much smarter than me.” But then we forget, you know, we are the ones who are hired to be a part of these smart people, and we try to over compensate, over contribute, over deliver, not have any boundaries, you know, when we join in as a new employee. And that’s the mistake that we make, because then our bosses get used to us working long hours or, you know, over delivering. And I think when you join a new job, especially, it’s very important to remember, and make a list of all your achievements, and remember that, you know, you are hired. You’re the one who was selected to be a part of this room and have set those boundaries early on. Whatever works for you. You know, if you start working till 8 just in the beginning, then you always have to work till 8, because your boss gets used to it. So I would just say that be very sure of why you were hired, and you don’t have to constantly doubt yourself. So yeah, do confidence affirmations, and go through your list of achievements to feel more confident on a daily basis. [73.8s]

Patricia [00:29:50] I like that, having the confidence affirmations. That definitely resonates. I feel like a lot of people are very scared to speak up. Speaking about talking and practicing that, I wanted to ask about effective communication in the workplace. [00:30:04]How do you feel professionals, young professionals specifically, can improve their communication skills to advance in their careers? [6.4s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:30:12] [00:30:12]I feel there’s three elements to communication. One is, of course, the written communication, which is also very important, and there’s verbal communication, and then there’s non-verbal communication. So I feel when it comes to non-verbal communication, a lot of us ignore that, especially because we’re working remotely so much of the time, right? So when you go into the office, you don’t know how to behave, because you’ve just been sitting in front of a screen all day. So, it’s very important to pay attention to your body language, your posture, your tone of voice, your hand gestures, your eye contact. You know, all of that also sort of reflects how much confidence you have as a person and also affects how you’re going to communicate. If somebody is, you know, sitting like a sloppy person or, you know, like slouching or not interested, people will not rely on them as much as somebody who’s, you know, looking sharp, is ready for the day. And we’ll just – you know, that’s how we build trust as humans when we look at another person. So non-verbal communication is super important. When it comes to verbal and written communication, I think there are so many tools to help you now. I would say like if you’re writing an email to your boss, just copy, paste it on ChatGPT, and say, “Is this okay?” or, you know, “Can you make my tone a little bit more formal?” I’ve been seeing these meme reels on Instagram that say Gen Z don’t care about communicating. They’re just, “Okay, bye,” you know. Like, they’re very casual like that, which is, again, for the managers, who are millennials now, are struggling to figure out how to manage Gen Z. But I think a little bit of formality is necessary in the workplace, because they’re not their best friends. They’re your employers, right? So, it’s important to have that certain level of, I think again, a boundary and how you reflect. How you communicate is a reflection of who you are on the professional front. So, it’s important to showcase yourself as the best professional self that you are. So yeah, I would say practice makes perfect. Again, observe how people are communicating in the workplace, and try to really practice that in front of the mirror, record yourself, sit with a friend, do a mock interview or a meeting. Written is easy, I guess. You just have to copy, paste, and ask for tips. [132.6s]

Patricia [00:32:25] I think one example of a nonverbal communication today that is very relevant is having a personal and professional brand. So either you’re a professional, maybe you’re an entrepreneur, I think branding is something that’s so important, because we’re so into the digital world. Like, you have to present yourself, not just in person, but online, you have to have a presence. And as an entrepreneur who has built your own successful business and company, I wanted to ask you like, [00:32:56]what is the importance of creating a professional and personal brand and what are the steps that individuals can take to develop a strong personal brand? [8.6s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:33:05] [00:33:05]Everything is so competitive now, right? Like everybody is trying to win the race. So what I always say is quote from Jeff Bezos, and he says, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” Right? It’s so important to remember on a daily basis, without opening our mouths, people are making a judgment of us, right? We are reflecting who we are as a person. And how you’re representing yourself is really important at the workplace, because if you don’t have a brand, so for example, let’s say there are five junior consultants in the team, and if you are just another junior consultant, you probably won’t be the one who was promoted. But if there’s one junior consultant who has good Excel skills, or has good presentation skills, or is really good with the clients, that’s the person who’s going to stand out, right? Because that person is taking the time to build their brand, to build their reputation, to communicate their brand to other people. So I think you just need to build your brand. You need to ask yourself what is important to you? What are my values? What am I good at? What are my skills, and what can I showcase to this team or add to this team that’ll be just mine. This is just mine. So for example, I started to become very known in my team in my last job as someone who’s really positive. So I would get things done. I would be action-oriented. I would always send the notes at the end of the meeting, and I would say, “No, we’ll be able to do it,” even though there was a tight deadline, right? So, that was my sort of brand that I would always have a smile on my face. You have to figure out what makes you unique, because you are not just another junior consultant, right? You are somebody who’s different. And when it comes to starting a business, you have to figure out what makes you you. Why should people buy from you? Why should people come to you? So I think it’s the same when you’re working in a company as well. Like you have to really make the effort to stand out in small ways, and be known for those 1 or 2 things rather than being being known for nothing, you know? [121.0s]

Patricia [00:35:07] [00:35:07]And I wanted to talk about career strategy and the importance of having it. How important do you think is having a career strategy or a plan, and what should that include? [9.8s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:35:18] [00:35:18]I think having a career strategy is important, because many times when you don’t have a plan, you’re just following somebody else’s plan and somebody else’s spot. So that could be by your parents, it could be by your classmates, your best friends, your colleagues. You know, you’re just thinking, “Let me study this degree, because my best friend’s doing it,” or “Okay, my parents are pushing me to do this course, so let me do it.” I think it’s really important to figure it out, and I always do that in my 1 to 1 coaching with my students, is that really think about your long term career goal. Like, what do you want your life to look like? Because your career is a part of your life, right? It’s not your entire life. So what do you want your life to look like? Really reflect on that. And then we make a plan backwards. So when you know what you really want, what are the options for you to get there, and then make a plan, you know, backwards? And what are the options that are feasible for me to get there? What are the things that I need to do now in order to get to that ultimate vision that I have? So I feel career planning is important because if you don’t have a goal, you feel lost. You feel like every day is the same. You’re not working towards anything, and that hits you once you’re out of university and you’re out of college, because you don’t have a deadline or a goal that you’re working toward, especially when you start working. So having a career strategy, okay, I’m going to be in the job for the next three years, and then I make a shift or maybe ultimately I want to do an MBA. So, I’m just going to get experience for five years and then I’m going to do an MBA. So having that long term goal is just gives us a little bit of direction, I feel. Otherwise we’re all over the place. [83.8s]

Patricia [00:36:43] I think it’s really important to have structures, especially when you’re going from being a student and to working in school. You know, everything’s laid out. You have a term to follow, you have like teachers to guide you, but when you’re out of that institution, it’s ultimately up to you, like what job you want to take or where you want to go. So I think it is really important to have a career strategy and a plan to follow. I really like what you said that “Okay, maybe I’m going to stay here for three years and then shift.” Like, you have to plan those things ahead and be responsible because you’re, you know, it’s your life, it’s your responsibility now. These are like all things that you talk about during your mentorships and some of the MSB Vision courses, and I wanted to ask you about those. There’s one course called the Move to the UK masterclass. I wanted to ask you, what can participants expect from this masterclass, and what do you usually tell them during this masterclass?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:37:41] Yes, yes. It’s actually called [00:37:42]Thrive [0.0s] in the UK. It’s basically all the tips and the tricks that I didn’t know when I was moving here. So, what are the different types of visas? How can you find people to support your career? You know, how do you go about networking? What is the CV that is used here in the UK, the CV structure, the CV plan? And how can you, you know, find a job that sponsors you? How can you make friends? How can you socialize? What are the different apps that you can use? How do you plan for your life here in the UK so that you’re able to thrive and not be lonely and depressed. So, it was just like all the tips and tricks, everything bundled into a 1-hour masterclass. So yeah, it’s just all my resources in a way.

Patricia [00:38:27] And you also have a masterclass on LinkedIn. [00:38:31]Could you tell us, like, why is it important for young professionals and individuals to have a LinkedIn profile, and how can the masterclass on LinkedIn help them enhance their professional profiles and networks? [11.8s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:38:44] [00:38:44]Sure. So that one is called [1.1s] [00:38:45]Win on LinkedIn. [0.4s] [00:38:47]LinkedIn has helped me immensely in my career, the job that I got in London. I had no networking. I knew nobody, and I started reaching out to random strangers. And eventually, one of them referred me for the job that I eventually got. So, I feel that these are things that nobody taught me, you know. Nobody told me how to reach out to strangers, how to actually have a list of target companies and, you know, send messages to people who work in those companies, etcetera. So, the masterclass is just about – it’s a five-step process on how you can build a profile online, because everybody’s going to Google you, right? So, what comes up when they google you? It should be a free website of yours that’s created on this platform called LinkedIn. So, it’s like your web link. It’s personal to you. So, how do you stand out when a recruiter googles you. When they see your profile, what is it that makes you unique? Why should they call you for an interview? They’re going to judge you on the basis of that one web page, right? So, I feel it’s really important to do an audit of yourself online. What’s your online profile looking like? And that’s what I talk about in the Masterclass. It’s like a five-step process on how to make a stronger profile. [74.0s]

Patricia [00:40:02] [00:40:02]That’s amazing. And you also do coaching on interview preparation, which I think is really important. What are some of the key tips for preparing for a job interview that you’ve usually covered in your mentorship sessions? [13.6s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:40:16] [00:40:16]Again, it depends on what job, what industry, what is the background of the student. But some general tips would just be, you know, read the job description again and again, and practice what could be asked in in the interview specific to that job description. So that is specific questions. And then there are some genetic questions which could be behavioral questions like what’s your weakness, what are your strengths, where do you see yourself in five years, you know, why do you want this job, why do you want to work with us? So, really knowing, doing your research about the company, about its competitors, about what makes you unique. They’ve called you for an interview, so they like your profile, right? They like your CV. They think you could be a good fit. They’re just meeting you to see whether that there’s that connect, and I talk about this in detail in my sessions. But yeah, basically you have to really know who you are, how you stand apart from the other interviewees, because what makes you unique, it all goes back to your brand story, right? So I’m connecting that with the job description and communicating it well, practicing well and communicating that well in the interview is super important. So I had some practice. I do a mock interview. [66.7s]

Patricia [00:41:23] [00:41:23]That’s amazing. One other thing that you also talk about during your mentorship is education financing. How can students effectively plan and manage education financing, especially when they’re studying abroad? [12.7s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:41:37] [00:41:37]Actually, that’s a session that is conducted by somebody else in the team, because they took an education loan to come study and paid off their loan in the first three years of of working. So I think there are different ways of funding your education. And firstly, you have to have a budget in mind. There has to be a budget. If you’re targeting Howard, you have to know that it comes with a hefty tuition fee. So you have to just be prepared. And if I’m targeting a good college, then maybe it’s going to come with with a heavy fee. So, just have to be prepared. And whether you’re taking help from your family or, you know, you’re taking a loan, you just have to work towards that end goal, and start having those communications with bank managers, finding the best interest rates of education loan, etcetera. And if it comes back to your savings, if you want to self-fund education, it’s about making that plan backwards. Let’s say you want to do a degree in five years, and you start planning now and think, “Okay, how much do I need to save on a monthly basis, so that I can comfortably go and do this course?” So, I think it’s all about, again, goes back to a career planning question. It’s career planning and working backwards, so that you can plan better today to get to that goal. [68.8s]

Patricia [00:42:47] We will be sharing all the links for MSB vision. If anyone out there wants to, you know, take a course, we’ll be sure to link that in our description, so you can learn from Mehar herself. And I wanted to ask you some entrepreneurial insights about starting a business right now. [00:43:03]What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own ventures? [4.3s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:43:09] [00:43:09]I would say that you have to know that every venture can feel like a job eventually, right? So, I hired too many people. I had too many processes in place, and then it was just the corporate job that I was trying to escape, right? So, you have to remember that a business has to be a reflection of who you are as a person, and eventually the passion can run out. So, you have to be really, really sure what industry you’re getting into and have, I would say instead of passion, have the purpose of starting a business. Like, “Why am I trying to solve this problem?” And it has to be really true to you, who you are as a person. Purposeful businesses are the ones that succeed and make you happy as well in the end.[37.8s]

Patricia [00:43:48] Love that. Purposeful businesses. [00:43:50]And how do you balance your roles as a career coach, mentor, CEO, and how do you have time to do other things outside of work that is valuable to you as a person? [9.2s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:44:00] Actually, I just became a mother, so that’s my most important role right now.

Patricia [00:44:04] Congratulations!

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:44:05] [00:44:05]Thank you, thank you! So I’m still trying to find my balance. To be honest, I have taken work a little bit easy this year, because she was really small, and I wanted to give all my attention to her. But I think it all comes down to saying no to projects that don’t excite me and saying yes to the stuff that really does. You know, I have limited time now, especially as a new mom. And I want to do so many things, and I wanted to help so many people, but I understand that my energy and motivation also comes in seasons. So, right now, it’s like a, you know, it’s like a low wintry season, and then I’ll pick up and get ready for summer again. So, so I think for your balance, you have to understand how you work. If you work better in the evenings or at night, you know, when everybody’s asleep, that’s when you should be doing all your hard core tasks. But I would say that it’s different for each person. Prioritize, make your to-do list, delegate as much as you can, outsource things that don’t add any value to you. You don’t need to be doing everything yourself. Use tools like ChatGPT. It’s here to help us in every aspect of our business or career now, and learn how to use them, and take help, and reach out to other people who’ve been there, done that, who could probably share advice with you. [70.2s]

Patricia [00:45:16] That’s really great advice. Yes, outsourcing. It’s one of the things we do here at The Write Direction. Help people build CVs, we do, you know, business documentation. So, there are so many resources out there. You just have to research and be willing to ask for help, right? Because as a business owner, you really can’t do everything. You have to lean on your team and other people to be successful. And [00:45:38]as an entrepreneur, how do you handle setbacks and failures in your journey? [4.9s]

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:45:44] [00:45:44]I think when you face a failure or a setback, it takes you some time to get over it. So, don’t try and bounce back up immediately. Like, take the time to heal from it. Like, when I faced failure, when I was studying for my degree, I took the time to heal myself and get over it. And that’s when I, you know, once I was over it, I was like, “Okay, nowI can bounce back up.” So, it’s the same for like, let’s say you do an interview, and you get rejected. It will take you time to get over it, but you have to know that it’s a process, right? It’s a process that you have to go through. And similarly, even in entrepreneurship, let’s say you’re reaching out to a client, and it doesn’t work out, you have to remember there are other people – that are other fish in the sea, you know? There are people who would want to do business with you. So, don’t take it as a failure. Take it as a lesson learned. I always say like there’s this famous quote in a book – it’s called , “fail forward.” So, just learn from the failure, and instead of sticking in the same place, just fail forward, because you’re not going to make that same mistake again. So, take that setback as a learning curve and keep going. Don’t give up. [66.7s]

Patricia [00:46:51] And I wanted to ask you if you can share any success stories from your past clients. Can you share a story from maybe one of your mentees that particularly stands out to you?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:47:03] Oh my God, there’s so many. I have helped so many people get their dream jobs, get interviews, and talk to companies, get into their dream schools. I don’t want to take names, but yeah, it’s just overwhelming. And I think it’s not just one. It’s just every person, every person story is different. I think one of them – the ones that really touched me the most are the ones when it’s somebody who was also facing failure in the exams like I did. And I was talking to this person from a small town in India, and, you know, they were having suicidal thoughts at the time. And I said, “You know, I’m not a therapist, so I’m not going to help you get out of that, so you need to go for therapy.” And he said, “I was already going for therapy.” And I said, “Okay, but you know, I’m here to motivate you, and I’m here to tell you as a live example that it gets better, that this is just one part of your career.” Right? So, I think when you reach that – people connect with other people, because they resonate with them. Right? So, I think it’s the most overwhelming feeling when somebody looks at my journey and sees my struggles and also connects to them and then they want to have a conversation with me. So yeah, I feel really privileged, and blessed, and honored to be able to help people in some way.

Patricia [00:48:13] It is really impactful, the work that you do, and I’m sure there are so many young people out there that you’ve helped throughout the years. And through this coaching journey that you’re on, I wanted to ask, like, how do you stay updated with the latest trends and developments in career coaching and entrepreneurship?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:48:30] I’m constantly listening to podcasts and reading books. Like I said, I don’t have much of a network of entrepreneurs around me, so I read a lot. I read a lot of articles. I’m constantly upskilling myself when it comes to coaching certifications and, you know, making sure that I know what’s going on in the job market. And yeah, staying very close to my community also helps, you know, because I’m listening to what they’re going to live right now. So, that’s how I come up with ideas, and come up with ways to maybe come up with another workshop, or pivot my strategy for next month, you know. Those are the things that I do.

Patricia [00:49:09] And are there any specific books or resources you’d like to recommend to any of our listeners out there?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:49:14] Books, I listen to – because I’m in the career industry, I listen to [00:49:19]Adam Grant’s podcast. [0.7s] I listen to [00:49:21]Ali Abdaal, [0.2s] I listen to [00:49:25]Lavenderaire, [0.0s] I listen to Gary Vee. There’s just so many great people there and so many other female entrepreneurs. I keep switching depending on the topic. So, let’s say I want to make a video on self-doubt, and I just, you know, search for self-doubt, and I listen to the top ten recommendations that come up. So yeah, I listen to a lot of Ted talks. So yeah, that’s me.

Patricia [00:49:47] And I wanted to ask the vision for your future. What are the future goals for MSB Vision that you can share with us?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:49:55] The one that I’m working towards is launching a podcast very soon hopefully. So, that’s my goal.

Patricia [00:50:02] That’s really exciting. We will be staying tuned for that. And hopefully, it becomes a success. And how about expanding services? Are there any new services or courses that you plan to introduce to MSB Vision?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:50:14] I think the Corporate Confidence series has really gained a lot of attention, and I think it’s the need of the hour. So, I may make a course, or workshop, do like a masterclass to, you know, help people in that aspect. So yeah, career confidence and corporate confidence, definitely.

Patricia [00:50:30] And what advice would you give young professionals out there? Something about starting their careers.

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:50:37] Don’t be so harsh on yourself, and learn as much as you can in the early years of your career. Observe other people, learn from your seniors, and it’s okay to hate your first few jobs, because you’re just figuring out what you like verse you don’t like, right? So, something you studied, and then you go in and do a job in that field, it may not hit your expectations. So, I would say just be yourself, figure it out, and build your skills, and learn as much as you can. And then, again, plan for the future and figure out what you really want to do ahead.

Patricia [00:51:07] And before I let you go, Mehar, could you share with us anything that you’d like to say to our viewers out there? Maybe there are, you know, people out there who want to move, want to move careers or countries. Anything you’d like to say before we go?

Mehar Sindhu Batra [00:51:20] I think I just want to say that anything is possible, that you really believe in. You just have to know that it’s within your reach. So, don’t doubt yourself if you’re, let’s say, overwhelmed with like, let’s say a move or starting a new course, just break it down into small tasks and tick them off every single day, right? So break up your larger goal into many, many milestones and many things that you need to do to get there. So, it’s all achievable, I would say. If there’s a dream that’s planted in your mind, it’s in your mind for a reason, right? So, you can easily achieve it. Just keep believing in yourself.

Patricia [00:51:52] Thank you so much, Mehar, for taking the time to grace our podcast and sharing your wisdom with our listeners. And of course, thank you to everyone who listened to us today. This has been your host, Patricia. And remember, for all your professional business and technical writing needs, there’s only one way to go, and that’s with The Write Direction. See you guys soon! Goodbye!