From mentee to mentor: Birkbeck graduate’s journey comes full circle

When Amir Khan moved from Mumbai to London in January 2023 to study an MSc in Management at Birkbeck, he was chasing a long-held dream to work and learn in the UK. One year later, he graduated not only with his degree, but with a deeper sense of community, belonging and purpose.

A key part of his Birkbeck journey was joining the Mentoring Pathways programme, which gives students the opportunity to engage in a mentoring relationship with alumni and corporate volunteers. Amir was paired with business development consultant Phill Collins, who was awarded the Mentor of the Year at the 2025 Mentoring Pathways celebration event after he was nominated by his current mentee Inna Kucherenko.

Amir said: “No matter how smart you are, you always need someone to hold your hand and be a listening ear, particularly if you are in new surroundings, like I was. Phill gave me very important guidance - he motivated and pushed me to explore different career paths and figure out how to get where I wanted to go.”

Throughout Amir’s time at Birkbeck, the two regularly met in person and have stayed in contact since. He said: “When I landed my first job as a GTM – Enterprise Sales professional at FutureMatch, Phill was one of the first people I told. He was super happy for me. We’re still in touch, and it meant a lot to see him again at the celebration event.”

Phill added: “I’m really pleased that Amir has stepped up to be a mentor. His work ethic was extraordinary. I suspect a lot of people are put off from mentoring because they don't feel that they've got the right experience, the right gravitas or that they're old enough maybe. But it’s not always about that. It's about having an impartial third party you can talk to. I know Amir will be a great mentor and a listening ear.”

Before joining Birkbeck, Amir had been working full-time as a business analyst in the tech sector in Mumbai after earning a Bachelor’s in Technology in Electronics Engineering. What drew him to Birkbeck was not just the course, but the people.

He said: “Birkbeck is in the heart of London, which was a big draw. But more importantly, the students here are working in the real world. I liked that community aspect, I was learning from classmates who were already in the corporate world. That environment gave me a real push.”

That momentum, along with Amir’s drive to succeed, helped him secure three internships during his course: at 100 Degrees Consulting as a Business Consultant, at BreakBottle as a Growth Strategist, and at Blueshift Education in Business Development. Two of them came through Birkbeck’s Handshake platform, with strong support from the Careers Team.

He said: “I’m really grateful to Birkbeck for helping me tailor my CV, cover letters and overall job search. I also received great support from my career coach, Nadiya Mahmud, who was another big part of my Birkbeck experience. Everything positive that happened created a domino effect, and I truly believe it was all made possible because of Birkbeck and the community of great minds.”

Amir also embraced other opportunities on campus, serving as a Student Ambassador and taking part in the Pioneer Programme, designed to help select students develop the knowledge and skills needed to successfully start a business.

As a new international student, Amir found that vital support was available to him at Birkbeck. He was awarded a £1,000 Santander Scholarship to help with living costs and allowed him to attend tech and business events to gain a deeper understanding of the local professional culture. He was also grateful to have access to the Birkbeck Students’ Union Food Pantry. He said: “It’s very expensive to come to London and the food pantry helped offset some of those costs. It meant I didn’t have to worry about grocery bills during the first few months.”

A personal highlight from his time at Birkbeck was a last-minute arrangement from the events team to ensure he could attend his graduation ceremony after the deadline passed. Amir said: “It was a touching moment that reflected Birkbeck’s genuine support and how strong relationships built during my time there came full circle.”

Inspired by the invaluable support he received, Amir knew he wanted to give back. He said: “Birkbeck gave me so many opportunities and I learnt so much while navigating life as an international student. Once I graduated, I thought it was time to give back to Birkbeck students - especially other international students who might just need a listening ear or someone to validate them.”

Amir helped his first mentee map out his journey into the music industry, looking into the skills companies were looking for. With another mentee, he focused on internship options and goal-setting. Amir says he’s definitely going to carry on as a mentor so that he can be the “kind of senior I once looked up to as a junior”.

Now seeking his next step in the tech industry, Amir continues to pay it forward - one mentee at a time.