Small market, big information gap.
Colombo's professional sector is compact, which makes contacts decisive and outsiders slow to break in. A 30-minute session with someone already doing the job is the fastest correction available.
- Session length
- 30 minutes
- Cost to a mentee
- Free
- Local time zone
- IST
The people who arrive stuck.
Graduates
Competing for a limited number of professional openings with no inside view.
People working remotely for overseas employers
Building an international career with no local peer group to learn from.
Career changers
Moving out of apparel, tourism or hospitality into office-based work.
The fields our mentors work in.
Mentors volunteer 30 minutes. Matching is cross-border, so a mentor outside the city is normal and often the point.
Technology, software and data
Banking, finance and insurance
Apparel and manufacturing
Tourism and hospitality
Shared services and outsourcing
Startups and small business
Four steps, one half hour.
- 01
Tell us what you are stuck on
A short sign-up: where you are, what you want next, and the one thing blocking it.
- 02
We match you
You are matched with a mentor who has done the job you are aiming at, wherever in the network they sit.
- 03
Pick a time that suits you
Times are shown in IST, so a mentor in another country never means an awkward hour for you.
- 04
Thirty minutes on video
Free to you, on the platform, with a written summary of what to do next.
The questions we hear most in Colombo.
These come up again and again from people sitting in Colombo, whatever stage they are at.
How do I get into technology, software and data here without knowing anyone in it?
Is banking, finance and insurance worth moving into, and what does the first year really look like?
What does a strong application for apparel and manufacturing look like from Colombo?
Should I stay in Colombo, move, or work remotely for an employer somewhere else?
How do I explain my Colombo experience to an employer who has never heard of my last one?
Who funds the sessions here.
International employers running Give, with people mentoring from Colombo and beyond
Universities, colleges and skilling programmes for students in and around Colombo
Foundations widening access to professional work
Employers running Redirect for rejected candidates
Ready to start in Colombo?
Book a free 30-minute session, or tell us what you need and we will match you with a mentor who does the job you are aiming at.
The things people ask first.
Do I have to live in Colombo to book?
No. Matching is cross-border, so a mentor is chosen for the job they do rather than the city they sit in.
Is it really free?
Free to you. Sessions are funded by our employer, university and public-sector partners.
How soon can I get a session?
Sign up, tell us what you are stuck on, and pick a slot in IST once you are matched.
Can I be matched with someone in technology, software and data?
Yes. Technology, software and data is one of the areas Colombo mentees ask about most, and mentors in it volunteer across the network.
Will my mentor understand the Colombo job market?
Often, yes. Where the better match sits elsewhere, you still get someone who does the job you are aiming at, and the advice is set against what you are facing in Colombo.
Get unstuck from Colombo.
Thirty minutes with someone who has already done it. Free to you, wherever you are sitting.