Navigating the world of engineering is often strewn with complexities, such that even with the best degrees, a way out cannot be easily traced; fortunately, the way out only goes through the gates of mentorship. A mentor holds a lit lamp to lead his followers to the right destination, and in the engineering world, it’s a destination where innovation meets precision and amateurs become professionals. This responsibility is however effortlessly shouldered by Onasanya Oluwasegun, who has served rigorously in different engineering spheres, making him highly sought after. He knows the industry is rife with a burst of relentless creativity and excessive demand of high standards, making the journey for young engineers daunting; hence, he lends his hands to point these youngsters in the right direction, inspiring, encouraging and nurturing potentials to becoming full fledged engineers reigning in outstanding competence and skill.

Reflecting on Onasanya Oluwasegun’s career, one can only see dividends of hard work coupled with smart work, dedication and high levels of continuous learning. He has built a foundation on the art of unceasing learning, taking up important certifications to drive a remarkable stride of excellence. This is evident in his amassed awards and lined-up certificates, including the ones granted on an honorary basis. His technical skills and intellectual prowess aren’t the only hallmarks that sets him apart; the resilience and hunger for more to foster change and set new standards do more work to make him distinct.

Oluwasegun’s foray into mentorship began early in his career. It’s believed that he recognises the challenges confronting the regular young engineer as he’s once been in their shoes, knowing the dangers of not being properly guided. This came up with the resolve to deliberately guide interns and junior engineers to navigate the engineering path in a problem-free way. As a person characterised with empathy, he adopts a flexible coaching pattern identifying the strengths and weaknesses of his mentees, bringing these factors to a balance where one can bask on both sides for a favourable end result. According to Oluwasegun, “mentoring these engineers is actually a passion. In my days, my trainers were great but at the same time, very harsh and not open to full-circle conversations. This affected some of my colleagues that till this day they dared not to venture in areas where they couldn’t be bold enough to ask “how”. I believe that a mentor should be open enough to not just teach but patiently listen, support, and empower.”

As a testament to the effectiveness of Oluwasegun’s mentorship approach, many of his mentees have gone ahead to attain significant milestones in their respective careers, giving Oluwasegun credit for his invaluable guidance. Keywords used to describe him while he gets the credit includes his wholesome investment in their individual journeys, ensuring that they witness success. The benefactors claim that he takes his time to understand aspirations and align appropriate work enabling them to achieve. One such success story is that of Adeola (surname withheld), a young engineer who struggled to find her footing in the competitive world of mechanical engineering. However, under the tutelage of Oluwasegun, she gained confidence and boosted her skills in measures that set her apart: “I had served as an intern for almost a year with Engineer Oluwasegun and throughout the process, i confronted some of the things which used to be my biggest fears in my career making me understand things better. This has given me so much edge as most of these attributes helped me land a leading engineering job in a multinational company. If I have another opportunity to attend any workshop organized by him, I vouch never to miss it,”said Adeola.

Similarly, Kunle (Surname withheld), another of Oluwasegun’s mentees, recounts the invaluable guidance of Oluwasegun and how he gave him a quick on-the-job training. “I am a first class graduate of mechanical engineering and I was new to the engineering work field. I was so overwhelmed because a lot of expectations were mounted on me. At the brink of my confusion was the intervention of Engineer Oluwasegun. He took me in the process and taught me in bits. I absorbed all that he put me through and this enabled me to conquer the first project I was single handedly given to handle,” Kunle explained. Oluwasegun’s influence granted Kunle due recognition and reveals how keen Oluwasegun is to diligence and strategic problem solving.

Oluwasegun’s impact is dynamic such that he balances mentoring on technical as well as soft skills, highlighting the importance of both skills. These soft skills include leadership, communication, teamwork and technological efficiency. He considers these skills crucial for career advancement although it’s swept under the carpet in the routines of traditional education. He constantly encourages his mentees to seek out the need to learn trendy tech skills applicable to the engineering field coupled with learning the due process of communication and human-interest skills. Oluwasegun believes that a balance of technical and soft skills is the key factor that bolstered his career as he buttresses that mentees should succeed at both angles to make them highly sought after and recognized. “Imagine knowing how to fix mechanical system errors, maging softwares to programme machines and also possess high levels of crisis management, now that’s top-tier,” Oluwasegun highlights during an open interview.

The spirit of mentorship has taken a different dimension with Oluwasegun and his influence has set the stakes high for other mentors within the engineering community. His model is currently replicated from his mentees to others, inspiring a mentorship culture that promotes growth in career ratification. It’s safe to say that Oluwasegun’s mentorship approach has created a ripple effect that builds a community of engineers devoted to helping one another achieve optimal results in given tasks.

As Oluwasegun continues to advance in his own career, his legacy as a mentor grows stronger, extending the measure of career upliftment that advances the engineering profession as a whole. This legacy is bent to thwart the fears associated with the profession often labeled in narratives that suggest the financial difficulties faced by engineers despite the status attained. It’s not debatable that the engineering field is powered with knowledge, mentorship therefore becomes a feature that knowledge sharing is what truly makes a difference, hence Oluwasegun’s career and his take on mentorship underscores the pertinence of mentorship and its invaluable input to ensure success and secure the vitality of the engineering profession.