With an average of 35 mentee/mentor pairs, the Mentoring Programme started off as a real success. Mentors were asked to provide career advices as well as soft-skills trainings, with the ultimate goal being to broaden the perspectives of the mentees and better prepare them to enter the job market.

At the end of the programme, mentees are invited to write a short testimonial of their experience, which you can find a selection below:

• "Participating in this mentoring program has been a truly transformative experience for my career development. My mentor's support, insightful advice, and thoughtful guidance helped me grow both professionally and personally. She was there for me at every key step, from writing my thesis and preparing for my defense to navigating my first job applications, interviews, and even salary negotiations before signing the contract! Her constant encouragement reminded me to never give up on chasing my dreams, which gave me the confidence to push forward. Through our numerous discussions, she offered invaluable feedback and advice that resonated with my ambitions and personality. As a result, I was able to land a job that perfectly aligns with my criteria, values, and long-term goals. She also served as a powerful example that women can thrive and succeed in the industry, which inspired me to aim higher and believe in my own potential. I highly recommend this experience to anyone about to finish their PhD. It offers the guidance and support needed during such a critical transition point. It was such a nice experience that I hope to become a mentor myself one day, to give back and support others on their own journeys. So, see you soon!"

• “The EFMC mentoring programme helped me to refine my career plans and to dive into the world of the pharmaceutical industry. I built a relationship with my mentor that will last beyond the mentoring programme, and I was able to get tremendous insights into relevant soft skills and train for future interviews and positions.”

• "The Mentoring Programme was a wonderful experience. I had the opportunity to be paired with an expert in the field that could guide me during the first year of my postdoc. He could always answer my doubts about a career in Academia and supervise the steps I accomplished during my career development this year. During this year, which I consider one of the most delicate for the PhD-postdoc transition, I felt that I could count on an external voice that would increase the success rate of my career choices and give me the confidence to keep up with the work."

• "Owing to this program, I benefited from the expertise and the advice of someone who was ready to spend a lot of time for answering my queries, dispelling my doubts, for example. It really was an invaluable opportunity, and I am truly happy to have had this chance."

• "This mentoring programme is a unique opportunity to meet high level scientist inside the industry who would support and advice for your future career inside the pharmaceutical industry."

• I found it to be a very useful program where we discussed topics including, but not limited to networking, collaboration, funding and even simply what was current in the academic world.  I looked forward to each meeting as we exchanged thoughts on such topics in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Another aspect I really liked about the program was its flexibility; my mentor and myself could plan our meetings when it suited us and however frequently.  Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience while enriching my career with the advice and experience of my mentor. I would not hesitate to recommend the program to other early-career researchers and academics.

• Even though I did not reach my original goal, that was an interesting experience anyway. I will for sure recommend it to other people since such a program is a good chance to know more experienced people. Even if the mentor-mentee match is not always perfect, there is always a possibility to learn something new."

• "This experience has been beneficial in my effort to understand and apprehend my future in research whether it be industrial or academic. The mentor was very available and always provided me with quick and efficient responses. I would also like to keep this mentor in my contacts for the future, which I think will be very good. The only drawback was the time I could not put into this in relation to the exchanges with my mentor. This is disappointing considering the end of my thesis but I couldn't do otherwise. I would like to thank the EFMC for offering me this experience and I hope to be able to repeat it but at the level of a young researcher whose objectives will be more defined and whose availability will be much more present."