Meghan Markle mentors young woman through video link for interview in her role as Smart Works patron
Meghan Markle has coached a young British woman ahead of her job interview via videolink in her role as a Smart Works patron. The 38-year-old advised the young woman from her home in Los Angeles, California, to be a beacon of hope and positivity during the challenging times.
The video of Duchess of Sussex guiding the unnamed woman has been shared by Smart Works charity on April 29 on its Instagram page. Meghan has been a royal patron of the UK charity -- it provides high quality interview clothes and interview training to unemployed women in need -- since January and personally has a long-standing commitment to supporting women's empowerment.
In the clip, Meghan is seen virtually encouraging the woman, who was applying for an internship after completing her studies in psychology. She also praised the young woman for her positive attitude, saying "there's so much going on in the world right now" but she was being a "beacon of hope".
According to reports, the session happened on March 27 in which the ‘Suits’ actress praised the woman for "focusing on getting through this."
“You seem incredibly confident and prepared. Everyone here is so excited, so when I was reading what your interests were - you have a big focus in mental health right? I think that's excellent,” Meghan said in the video call.
"I think you're going to be fantastic, it's just so exciting. I just wanted to call in and tell you best of luck and my fingers are crossed for you. There's so much going on in the world right now, so to be such a beacon of hope and focusing on getting through it and all the positivity...I just want to send your way, to make sure you can get on the other side of this too,” the Duchess said as she encouraged the woman during the session.
The Ducchess of Sussex also shared her experience being a patron for Smart Works and said, “It’s a pleasure to support them, you see how great they do and how many people they help and that’s what it’s all about. I’ve been really proud to be able to be their patron, but it’s an easy yes when you have such incredible women helping you.”
The young woman expressed her gratitude towards Meghan and said: “I just wanted to say a big ‘thank you’ to you, the Duchess and the whole team at Smart Works for making this possible for women all around the UK because to see such work is truly inspiring and uplifting.”
“And thank you for the super useful interview tips - I will be using them for years to come!” the woman added.
Sharing the clip from the video call, the charity posted a message from patron Meghan on its social media account that read: “It’s been such an honor to meet and learn from so many talented women in the Smart Works network over the years, and recently to see the amazing work they’re doing to adapt their programs to the reality of this pandemic. Their ability to continue to empower women and help them harness the confidence they need to succeed during this time is inspiring."
In the post, Smart Works further explained that after “moving to a virtual service six weeks ago we have delivered 200 hours of support to our clients. From the volunteers who have been delivering coaching online to the staff working behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly - the energy, passion, and commitment have been overwhelming.”