"Discovering my very own brand of leadership with IDP!" - Lara Jane Mendoza

“The growth opportunities at IDP are endless. I’ve been with IDP for almost 5 years now which is the longest I’ve ever stayed in an organisation but I feel like I’m just getting started because I learn something new every day. 

My IDP journey has been an extraordinary ride so far. I joined the team in 2018 as a Content Specialist. After two years, I got promoted to Senior Communications and Content Specialist, and just last year, I became IDP Philippines’ Marketing Manager. 

Since I am relatively new to my role as Marketing Manager, my goal is to stabilize the team and perfect our internal processes. Most of my teammates joined only recently and we are going to get bigger with our Intake members joining us. IDP Philippines has a strong expansion plan and we are in ‘hypergrowth’ mode, so I want to make sure that my team is prepared for the next couple of years.  In the long term, I would like to eventually gain knowledge and skills outside marketing to become a more well-rounded leader. 

And this was a driving reason for why I applied to IDP’s Maher El Bakry Emerging Leaders Award, and I am so glad I did. This is IDP’s flagship mentoring initiative - an annual program focused on developing emerging IDP leaders from around the globe. Every year, a few recipients are chosen from regions all across the globe to take part in the program. They will have the opportunity to learn and grow with direct support from IDP’s Global Leadership Team (GLT). Along with mentoring, the program offers sponsorship towards a course to also help them develop in an area of their preference. 

I am honored to have been chosen as one of IDP’s Maher El Bakry Emerging Leaders. As part of my program, I studied a short course on Project Management at the University of Westminster in the UK. 

With the support of IDP Philippines’ country leadership team, I was able to go to the UK for two weeks to study this short course at the university. After completing the course, I took the examination and got a PRINCE2 Project Management Certification.  

Studying Project Management equipped me with the technical skills to successfully organise projects – whether it’s a campaign, product launch, events, or a completely different thing. Since getting certified, I became more confident about my skills – even volunteering to take on big projects when I got back to the Philippines including our Annual IELTS Agents night and hosting the GLT in Manila a couple of months ago. 

On top of the technical learnings I got from my chosen course, being a Maher Award winner gave me validation that I have what it takes to be the leader I have always wanted to be.

The most exciting part for me was the GLT mentorships. It was such a huge privilege learning from our global leaders and getting to ask them questions. I loved my regular catch ups with Georgia Murphy, our Chief People Officer. She made me feel comfortable to share about my experience, challenges, and learnings at work. Her listening to me and giving perspective on things are something I will value for the rest of my career.  

Aside from getting mentored by some members of the GLT, I also learned a lot from the discussions with my fellow Maher graduates. 

IDP didn't just teach me ‘how to lead’ but how to be the best version of the leader I want to be - through this experience. The program encouraged me to learn from other leaders without compromising my own brand of leadership. 

I truly look forward to a bright and exciting future with IDP!  

If you would like to join us on our journey, have a look at some of our opportunities to get started.” - Lara Jane Mendoza, Marketing Manager, IDP Philippines