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A scale-up business is more often than not beset with several challenges. From knowing exactly how fast to go, so as not to get the company in a pickle and not erring so much on the side of caution as to lose traction and miss critical opportunity, scaling up ensures that John the man in the driver’s seat has his task cut out for him. Upscaling disrupts the status quo in myriad ways. John will likely have to reconfigure processes pertaining to sales, finance and management information systems. Add to that the fact that most people are resistant to change and it becomes quite challenging for someone like John to inculcate the company culture created by a hundred people in people five times the number. It is therefore important that decisions pertaining to recruitment and possible retrenchment are taken appropriately. Perhaps even more critical is putting in place the right management structure to manage the change. However skilled and proficient John may have been in running a business at a certain scale, the decision to scale up means that he will now operate in unchartered territory, where he necessarily has to follow a learning curve to become truly proficient at operating at an enhanced scale. The critical part though is that he may not have the luxury of time. It makes eminent sense for him to seek assistance from a business mentor. Such a person will prove an invaluable asset to John. Their professional expertise, years of experience and insight would help buttress John’s business against the shocks that are often the result of any restructuring that are inevitably the result of any scaling up carried out by a business. As a matter of fact, there are many direct tangible benefits that accrue from having a mentor guide the growth phase of any company. These are enumerated below- Saving Time- There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Your mentor is someone who has been there and has done that. Such a person can hand-hold John and guide him in carrying out the course correction required for scaling up, saving him valuable time in the process. There is always a critical period within which any scaling-up process needs to be carried out. While John cannot afford to miss the bus, he also cannot afford to make a mistake. That is why having a mentor by his side will be the best course of action for John to adopt.


Saving Money- This flows from the first point. Having a mentor guide him will ensure that John hits the ground running and does not waste any time trying to learn the nitty gritty of scaled-up processes. This will enable him to commence delivery in double quick time, enabling him to optimally leverage the advantages of scaling up. The savings in terms of opportunity cost on account of the mentor helping considerably shorten the lead time to come to speed will be immense.


Gaining Good Experience- While John may eventually complete the scaling-up process on his own, not having access to a mentor’s tremendous experience would mean that he would likely make many mistakes and his learning curve would be far from satisfactory. Working with a mentor with a wealth of experience would mean that John would not only have access to that but would be able to build upon that. This would do wonders for his personal growth and ability to understand the intricate nuances of the scaling up something he would not be able to achieve on his own or take years to accomplish.


Gaining Access To Mentor’s Network- While John would have access to his network of people beneficial to his business, it would probably not be up to scratch on the scaled-up level of business. These will have to be a whole new set of people operating in another universe altogether. Having a mentor on board means that John can now have unimpeded access to their assiduously built up network of contacts that would prove extremely beneficial to John’s business. A scale-up business is more often than not beset with several challenges. From knowing exactly how fast to go, so as not to get the company in a pickle and not erring so much on the side of caution as to lose traction and miss critical opportunity, scaling up ensures that John the man in the driver’s seat has his task cut out for him. Upscaling disrupts the status quo in myriad ways. John will likely have to reconfigure processes pertaining to sales, finance and management information systems. Add to that the fact that most people are resistant to change and it becomes quite challenging for someone like John to inculcate the company culture created by a hundred people in people five times the number. It is therefore important that decisions pertaining to recruitment and possible retrenchment are taken appropriately. Perhaps even more critical is putting in place the right management structure to manage the change. However skilled and proficient John may have been in running a business at a certain scale, the decision to scale up means that he will now operate in unchartered territory, where he necessarily has to follow a learning curve to become truly proficient at operating at an enhanced scale. The critical part though is that he may not have the luxury of time. It makes eminent sense for him to seek assistance from a business mentor. Such a person will prove an invaluable asset to John. Their professional expertise, years of experience and insight would help buttress John’s business against the shocks that are often the result of any restructuring that are inevitably the result of any scaling up carried out by a business. As a matter of fact, there are many direct tangible benefits that accrue from having a mentor guide the growth phase of any company. These are enumerated below- These are enumerated below- Saving Time- There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Your mentor is someone who has been there and has done that. Such a person can hand-hold John and guide him in carrying out the course correction required for scaling up, saving him valuable time in the process. There is always a critical period within which any scaling-up process needs to be carried out. While John cannot afford to miss the bus, he also cannot afford to make a mistake. That is why having a mentor by his side will be the best course of action for John to adopt. Saving Money- This flows from the first point. Having a mentor guide him will ensure that John hits the ground running and does not waste any time trying to learn the nitty gritty of scaled-up processes. This will enable him to commence delivery in double quick time, enabling him to optimally leverage the advantages of scaling up. The savings in terms of opportunity cost on account of the mentor helping considerably shorten the lead time to come to speed will be immense. Gaining Good Experience- While John may eventually complete the scaling-up process on his own, not having access to a mentor’s tremendous experience would mean that he would likely make many mistakes and his learning curve would be far from satisfactory. Working with a mentor with a wealth of experience would mean that John would not only have access to that but would be able to build upon that. This would do wonders for his personal growth and ability to understand the intricate nuances of the scaling up something he would not be able to achieve on his own or take years to accomplish. Gaining Access To Mentor’s Network- While John would have access to his network of people beneficial to his business, it would probably not be up to scratch on the scaled-up level of business. These will have to be a whole new set of people operating in another universe altogether. Having a mentor on board means that John can now have unimpeded access to their assiduously built up network of contacts that would prove extremely beneficial to John’s business. Saving Time- There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Your mentor is someone who has been there and has done that. Such a person can hand-hold John and guide him in carrying out the course correction required for scaling up, saving him valuable time in the process. There is always a critical period within which any scaling-up process needs to be carried out. While John cannot afford to miss the bus, he also cannot afford to make a mistake. That is why having a mentor by his side will be the best course of action for John to adopt. Saving Time - There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Your mentor is someone who has been there and has done that. Such a person can hand-hold John and guide him in carrying out the course correction required for scaling up, saving him valuable time in the process. There is always a critical period within which any scaling-up process needs to be carried out. While John cannot afford to miss the bus, he also cannot afford to make a mistake. That is why having a mentor by his side will be the best course of action for John to adopt. Saving Time Saving Money- This flows from the first point. Having a mentor guide him will ensure that John hits the ground running and does not waste any time trying to learn the nitty gritty of scaled-up processes. This will enable him to commence delivery in double quick time, enabling him to optimally leverage the advantages of scaling up. The savings in terms of opportunity cost on account of the mentor helping considerably shorten the lead time to come to speed will be immense. Saving Money - This flows from the first point. Having a mentor guide him will ensure that John hits the ground running and does not waste any time trying to learn the nitty gritty of scaled-up processes. This will enable him to commence delivery in double quick time, enabling him to optimally leverage the advantages of scaling up. The savings in terms of opportunity cost on account of the mentor helping considerably shorten the lead time to come to speed will be immense. Saving Money Gaining Good Experience- While John may eventually complete the scaling-up process on his own, not having access to a mentor’s tremendous experience would mean that he would likely make many mistakes and his learning curve would be far from satisfactory. Working with a mentor with a wealth of experience would mean that John would not only have access to that but would be able to build upon that. This would do wonders for his personal growth and ability to understand the intricate nuances of the scaling up something he would not be able to achieve on his own or take years to accomplish. Gaining Good Experience - While John may eventually complete the scaling-up process on his own, not having access to a mentor’s tremendous experience would mean that he would likely make many mistakes and his learning curve would be far from satisfactory. Working with a mentor with a wealth of experience would mean that John would not only have access to that but would be able to build upon that. This would do wonders for his personal growth and ability to understand the intricate nuances of the scaling up something he would not be able to achieve on his own or take years to accomplish. Gaining Good Experience Gaining Access To Mentor’s Network- While John would have access to his network of people beneficial to his business, it would probably not be up to scratch on the scaled-up level of business. These will have to be a whole new set of people operating in another universe altogether. Having a mentor on board means that John can now have unimpeded access to their assiduously built up network of contacts that would prove extremely beneficial to John’s business. Gaining Access To Mentor’s Network - While John would have access to his network of people beneficial to his business, it would probably not be up to scratch on the scaled-up level of business. These will have to be a whole new set of people operating in another universe altogether. Having a mentor on board means that John can now have unimpeded access to their assiduously built up network of contacts that would prove extremely beneficial to John’s business. Gaining Access To Mentor’s Network

The Crucial Role of Mentors in Scale-up Businesses

What Is Design Mentoring? (In a Nutshell) It’s a given that after years of working as a designer, you accumulate immense knowledge on the subject. What’s also a given is that, sooner or later, you will likely want to (or have to) share this knowledge with some newbie. Whether it’s your tips on how to use designer tools or on how to build proper communication inside your team, or your ideas on how to make one’s first steps in the industry - trust me, any wisdom will be appreciated. If you are not actively seeking an apprentice, you still might end up with one in the form of onboard mentoring. Say, you are working in a rapidly growing design team. Newcomers will likely need help in learning the trade’s tricks, design tool hacks, and other things in order to assimilate and become productive. But newbies won’t be the only ones who would benefit from having you as a mentor. Mentoring is a wonderful opportunity to structure your own skills and knowledge and even make them a lot more profound. Types of Design Menoting (Personal Experience) After I’ve had a few mentees of my own, I have distinguished three types of mentoring: Designer newcomer mentoring Mentoring fellow designers during a design course or program Personal mentoring upon a mentee’s request All these types have their peculiarities, but despite these differences, becoming a proper mentor takes you through a string of phases. And as I found out firsthand, these phases are pretty much universal. Before I walk you through them, I have to mention that these phases do not necessarily go in that order. Besides, depending on your own personality, you might easily skip one or two. In the end, your journey to mentorship will greatly depend on the time you can devote to mentoring, your mentee’s level of training, and their willingness to openly communicate. By the way, a spoiler: more often than not, proper communication is the thing that kick-starts a mentee’s development. Now, ready? Off we go then! Mentorship Phases (Problems and Solutions) Genuine anticipation During this phase, you eagerly (or not so much) await your interaction with your mentee. You might have way too high expectations when it comes to your mentee’s communication skills, work ethic, and efficiency. This is all especially true if you are new to this whole mentoring thing. You might even start to question your own ability to be a mentor for a fellow designer. The most important thing to do is to get to know your mentee better before mentoring actually begins. Learn about their education, background, and their go-to tools. Then, also beforehand, you need to know the exact goal of your mentoring, both for yourself and the mentee. This knowledge will help you shape your mentoring style for this specific case. And it certainly won’t hurt to frequently check on these goals in order to evaluate your mutual progress. Tips: Frustration You might enter this stage during your first encounter with your mentee. These are the tale-tell signs that they are not willing to engage with you: They keep silent They don’t ask questions They are not willing to turn on their camera if you are meeting online one-on-one, especially when they are among other mentees on the call (I’ve had a few of those). : Make sure to use your first encounters to set basic communication rules that will be used throughout your whole mentoring. Don’t be shy to remind your mentee of these rules should your apprentice neglect them. If breaking of the rules persists, ask why. This might be for a good reason. Tips Plateau This is the phase when you receive the results of your mentee’s work, whether these are complete tasks, or design fixes after your reviews. This stage encourages you to go on, even though problems from the previous phase might still manifest themselves. : Try your hand at role-playing. Put on a mask of a person ignorant of design, or become a customer. This will prompt your mentee to assume the position of power and explain their views of design. Tips Breakthrough Every proper mentor anticipates the phase. This is the moment when your mentee exceeds your expectations or when they make a leap in development as a designer. I’m not talking about perfect designs or flawless mockups (these are fine, too, don’t get me wrong). But proper communication, the ability to effectively defend one’s point of view, or mastery in holding a presentation showing a design’s journey from a concept to application are just as important in my opinion. : Don’t pressure your apprentice too hard. Instead, support them, and engage them to ask questions. And don’t be nitpicky. This especially applies to mockups and components done in Figma or Sketch. Tips Total mess There might be instances when your mentees skip your meetings without any warning. Or they fail to deliver their assignments on time. Or worse, they ignore the rules that you have set prior. This will inevitably cause you frustration. : Here’s my simple rule to deal with it - you need to have a talk (no aggression, no accusations) after the first instance of such nature. Do not wait till this behavior becomes a habit. During the talk, you need to find out the reason for breaking your rules (the situation could be understandable). Apart from that, you need to decide on the solutions to the miscommunication problem and receive your mentee’s confirmation that they will further restrain from such behavior. Tips This could happen that apart from you two, a manager and a supervisor might be involved in a talk like that. After all, such cases are slightly beyond your primary job (and above your pay grade as well). Enjoyment and progress This is obviously the best stage in mentoring. You have proper communication established, you know that the mentee is motivated, and you see their progress. One of the best things about this phase is your ability as a mentor to articulate your point of view, explain the subject, and be open to the mentee’s questions : At a certain point, your mentee might be asked to give feedback on you as a mentor. Many companies overlook this opportunity, believing that mentors’ opinion matters more because of their advanced knowledge. However, feedback is valuable even for seasoned pros, as they provide reviews of their strengths and weaknesses. Tips Why Even Bother? (My Opinion) Being a mentor is almost as hard as being a mentee. Each of these roles comes with its own strengths, weaknesses, and flaws. Still, there is a reason for a designer to try their hand at mentoring. It will give you a chance to look at your own expertise in a new light. What if you are still lacking some experience and knowledge? Then there’s a solid reason to become a mentee yourself, thus closing the designer mentor-designer mentee cycle.

How to Be Good Mentor for a Fellow Designer

Hey there. Scott here. Today, let's rip apart some lazy clichés about success (one of my favorite things to do). You know the drill: "Find a mentor." "Surround yourself with the right people." Blah, blah, blah. There's this whole industry built on pimping out "gurus" promising secret keys to the magic kingdom. You'll pay some six-figure mastermind fee to sip bad coffee while some pay-to-speak “thought leader” on stage feeds you recycled platitudes. Here's the newsflash nobody wants to tell you: The fastest way to master something is to TEACH it. You think mentors got to where they are by sitting on their butts waiting for handouts? Hell no. They learned in the trenches, by DOING. They made mistakes, learned from them, and figured out how to do it better next time. Real wisdom isn't downloaded – it's forged in the fire. Teach it to Keep It Let's talk about brain science for a second. There's this thing called the "protégé effect." Turns out, when you EXPECT to teach something, you learn it on a deeper level. Why? Because it forces you to organize your thoughts, spot holes in your understanding, and break things down in a way that makes sense to someone else. You think those business influencers got all their knowledge overnight? Nope. They started out fumbling their way through, probably screwing things up just as much as the rest of us. But somewhere along the way, someone asked them a question, or they started explaining their process, started explaining all the things they figured out by doing…and BOOM. Lightbulb moment. Think about it – have you ever truly understood a concept until you had to explain it to a total newbie? Suddenly, all that fuzzy thinking goes out the window. You have to crystallize that stuff. That’s where the magic happens. The Ultimate Hack: Don't Seek, BE You want a mentor? Flip the script and become one. Find someone a few steps behind you on the path. Offer to help them out. You don't need to be the ultimate expert – just further along than they are. Here's the crazy thing: in the process of mentoring, YOU'LL level up faster than you could have imagined. Suddenly, you're revisiting stuff you thought you knew, only to see it with a whole new perspective. Your mentee asks questions you never thought of, forcing you back to fundamentals. Boom, lightbulb moments all over again. This isn't about charity. It’s pure, calculated selfishness (while simultaneously helping out someone else). "But Scott, I Have Nothing to Teach!" This is the #1 excuse I hear every time. I call BS. Every single one of you has something valuable to share. The trick is that it might not be what you think. Maybe you just: Figured out this crazy productivity hack for squeezing an extra hour into your day. Took your dog through basic training without losing your mind. Mastered a killer 20-minute bodyweight workout. Found a budgeting app that finally stopped you from blowing all your cash every weekend Think that stuff's too basic? Wrong. For someone struggling with those things, your 'basic' skill is worth its weight in gold. Your secret is the starting point someone else is craving. What makes you valuable as a mentor isn't just knowledge, it's relatability. When a 'guru' is on some pedestal, that creates distance. People are afraid to ask the "dumb" questions. however, were just in those beginner shoes. You remember the suck, the confusion, the "why the hell can't I get this" vibes. That makes you approachable. You, The Overflow Effect Here's the part no one tells you about 'pouring into others': it creates this crazy energy loop that comes back to you tenfold. Think about it like this: Every time you invest in helping someone else, you: Solidify your own understanding. Build confidence like a damn muscle. Gain clarity about your own path. Open doors to unexpected opportunities. Form valuable connections with people motivated to grow. Remember the old rule, "Give without expectation of return?" Guess what – the universe isn’t stupid. Your generosity creates this abundance mindset shift. New insights start rolling in. You notice solutions to problems you were stuck on. That side project you had on the back burner suddenly starts picking up steam. Call it karma, call it energetics, whatever. Helping others unlocks something that directly fuels your own success. From Talk to Action Enough philosophizing. You're a doer, right? Okay then, here's your homework. This is how you (start) to be a mentor, build a mentoring loop, and start helping others, while simultaneously, helping yourself. Don't try to be all things to all people. What specific skillset or knowledge have you been geeking out over lately? That's your jam. Don't overthink it – just pick something you genuinely enjoy talking about and feel you can provide a little guidance on. Niche Down: We're not going straight for paid mentoring here. Start small. Could you offer: Low-stakes offers: A 30-minute Q&A session in a relevant Facebook group? A mini-training video on a single, super-specific topic? A one-page PDF cheat sheet that breaks down a complex process? Zoom Office hours every Friday afternoon? Pull people in from LinkedIn. Social media, baby. Tell your network you're open to helping a handful of folks with [your niche topic]. Let your enthusiasm for the subject shine through – that's how you attract like-minded people. Don't worry about looking fancy. People connect with real. Put it out there: Overcoming Your Inner Critic Guess what? Your brain's gonna freak out. Imposter syndrome will throw up roadblocks. You'll hear whispers like: "Who the hell am I to teach this?" "Everyone else knows this stuff already." "What if I give bad advice and look like an idiot?" Here's how you fight back: Flip it: That fresh perspective is gold. "Who am I to teach this?" I'm the perfect person to teach this because I just figured it out myself. Nope. They don't. That's your ego talking. Everyone starts somewhere. Don't underestimate the value of a "beginner's mind." "Everyone else knows this stuff." Dude, relax. No one expects perfection. Focus on being helpful, sincere, and open to learning your mentees. That humility builds trust like nothing else. "Bad advice = idiot" alongside This Is YOUR Learning Lab The beauty of starting small is it takes pressure off. This isn't some permanent contract you're locked into. You're dipping your toes, testing the waters, and evolving right along with the folks you're helping. Don't worry about having all the answers right this second. Be transparent about your journey. People love rooting for the underdog. Your scrappiness and genuine desire to help are your winning qualities. Now you’re wondering, ok - I’ll do it… but I’ve never done this before. No problem, here’s how to start. First Interactions: Set the Stage Your goal isn't to be some all-knowing sage. No, you're the supportive guide on the side – here to provide helpful signposts and cheer your mentees on. With that in mind, here's how to kick things off on the right foot: – Ditch the generic "What do you need help with?" That’s too damn open-ended, especially for newbies who likely don't know where to start. Instead, dive into the specifics: Ask Powerful Questions "What's your biggest pain point with [your niche] right now?" "What's one small win you'd love to achieve by the end of this week?" "What part of this process feels the most overwhelming/confusing?" These force focus and get them thinking strategically rather than flailing around in overwhelmed. – Beginners get obsessed with end results. They want to hit some arbitrary number or get that dream outcome NOW. Your job is to bring them back to Earth: Instead of: "How do I make $10k a month?" ask "What's one concrete thing you can do to move closer to that goal?" Focus on Actions, Not Outcomes today This creates manageable momentum and prevents paralysis. Progress is your real measure. – Let's get real: a lot of people are addicted to the struggle. Watch out for red flags like, "I don't have time," "This won't work for me," and "I've tried all that before." Your job is to call gentle BS. Don't be mean, but be firm: Challenge Excuses "If you found just 15 minutes a day, what could you chip away at?" "Great! What makes your situation different?" "That might be true, what could you try instead? else Don't let them off the hook with their self-limiting story. You're here to crack open possibility, not coddle comfort zones. Beware of Scope Creep Early on, set clear boundaries. Are you offering a one-time Q&A? Ongoing email support? Be specific about what's included and what's not. Your time is valuable. Generosity doesn't mean martyrdom. Also, beware of those who confuse freebie mentoring with therapy. Your job isn't to fix their entire life. Keep steering things back to specific action within your area of expertise. Celebrate Every Damn Win This is HUGE. Most folks spend an unhealthy amount of time fixating on what they accomplished. Flip the script. When they share even the smallest victory, go BIG – shout their praises, share their wins, and give 'em virtual high fives. haven't This wires their brain for success more than anything else you could do. You Are the Ultimate Beneficiary It sounds counterintuitive, right? Shouldn't your focus be on value? That's part of it, but here's where the secret kicks in – mentoring unlocks hidden growth avenues for YOU in ways you don't expect. giving Your mentees won't hold back. They'll tell you which explanations landed brilliantly, and which instructions left them scratching their heads. This kind of direct critique is pure gold for honing your communication skills and pinpointing gaps in your understanding. Feedback Loop from Hell: Remember those "dumb" questions that used to plague you? They make you a better innovator. Every time you're stumped by a newbie's inquiry, you must flex your creative problem-solving muscles to find new ways to explain complex concepts. Forced Innovation: Turns out, having someone count on you is damn motivating. When you promise a mentee you'll tackle a certain topic or show them how to do something, welp, now you gotta walk the walk. No hiding behind lazy procrastination anymore. Accountability on Tap: The universe works in mysterious ways. When you throw out generous energy, those ripples come back multiplied. Maybe a mentee connects you with someone who solves a key problem for your business. Maybe that blog post you cranked out to explain a topic suddenly leads to paid collaboration offers. Unexpected Opportunities: This is pure social dynamics. By actively being the leader, the teacher, and the one with (even a little) more experience, you naturally step into a different social role. People begin to look at you differently. Their belief in fuels belief in yourself. Leveling-Up by Association: you Don't Just Mentor, Find Your OWN Mentors Now, here's the twist: even as you become a rockstar mentor to others, don't think you've outgrown being mentored yourself. Always seek out people a few rungs further up the ladder than you. The game never really ends. Look for people who: Embody the results you want to create. Share your values and energy. Have different skills or areas of expertise than your own. It's tempting to only get involved with the most famous, "successful" folks. Sometimes, the greatest mentoring relationships blossom with someone not that far ahead of you – they still remember the challenges vividly. A Call to Arms Listen, I won't sugarcoat this. Stepping into the mentor role ain't always easy. It requires commitment, vulnerability, and the willingness to confront your own BS alongside those you help. But you know what's harder? Staying stuck in the eternal student loop. Spinning your wheels, forever waiting for that perfect course, magic guru, or secret roadmap to fall from the sky. Here's the truth: the knowledge you need is already inside you. All that's needed is unlocking it. By sharing your journey, embracing the messiness of learning, and pouring into others, you create this unstoppable flow that benefits everyone involved. The world is starving for real. People are sick of the overpolished, "I've got it all figured out" BS. What they crave is someone willing to admit they don't have all the answers and figure things out alongside them. That's where you come in. Your imperfections are your biggest assets. Your willingness to show up, share your wins and losses, and lift others up as you rise – that's what makes a true difference. So, my challenge to you is simple: Pick THAT ONE THING you're most excited about right now, and start talking about it. Find those one or two people who could use your support, and offer a helping hand. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Mess up. Admit what you don't know. Learn out loud. This is what creates that overflow effect. This is how you tap into something you haven't even fully glimpsed yet. The Anti-Guru Movement This isn't just about self-growth. It's bigger than that. It's about flipping the script on the entire model of success. Imagine a world where knowledge flows freely, where collaboration wins over competition, and where anyone with drive and curiosity can find the support they need to rise. We're the ones who have to create that world. We're the anti-gurus, the knowledge rebels, the ones who pave the way for something bolder, better, and far more sustainable. So go forth, my friends. Teach. Share. Connect. Lift as you climb. The best form of knowledge seeking is knowledge creation – so unleash that inner wisdom you don't even realize have, and watch the magic unfold. That's a wrap, folks! I hope this ignites some fires. I'd love to hear what you think. Have a great weekend! Scott Also published here

The Anti-Guru Movement: Reconsider What Mentorship Is All About

Let's learn about via these 45 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Mentorship /Learn Repo 1. ADPList Matches Laid-Off Designers with Mentors for Free ADPLIst is a free community that matches designers and mentors. The new platform has more than 5,000 designers and mentors. 2. A Look Into my Writing Process: Interview With Serhii Rubets, Full-Stack Software Engineer This is a small interview with Serhii Rubets, a Fullstack JS Engineer with 7 years of experience. 3. What Questions Should I Ask My Startup Advisor? Confused about how to ask bold questions to your soon-to-be advisor? This article will fire you up in 6 minutes. Promise! 4. How To Ask For Feedback As a New Software Developer One of the best ways to grow as a software developer is by frequently asking for feedback from the people you work closely with. 5. What's The Most Important Skill for a Senior Developer? I often get asked what I think is the most important skill for a software developer. 6. A Q&A with MongoDB's Marcus Eagan on Developer Mentorship & Building a More Equitable World Hear Marcus Eagan's story - Staff Product Manager at MongoDB and Twilio Developer Searchlight Honoree 7. Asking Questions Makes You Look Smarter Junior developers are afraid of looking dumb. They think that seeming stupid will hinder their career progression. Nothing could be further from the truth. 8. Teaching is Learning: 5 Perks of a Two-Way Knowledge Transfer In vain have you acquired knowledge if you have not imparted it to others. 9. How Mentorship and Reading Through 100,000+ LoC Made Me a Better Human Being There’s more to code than the code 10. Leading By Letting Go. How To Quit Disturbing Your Engineering Team From Growing In this article, Taras Lazoriv, Advanced Software Engineer at Innovecs, shares his leadership experience and thoughts on growing an engineering team. 11. How to Find a Great Mentor to Advance Faster in Your Career If you are looking for opportunities to advance faster in your career, mentorship and executive sponsorship may be for you. 12. Getting a Mentor: Is it Worth It? I’ve learned a lot in the last year. In April 2018 I coded a small project called “MentorCruise”. Since then, 130 mentors have registered, 400 mentorships were formed and 2,000 people signed up. Time to look back. 13. Learning the art of Informational Interviews : Best Practices How to prepare and execute informational interviews to land a job faster. 14. Why Communication is Important for Software Developers In this article you will learn different approaches you can use to improve your communication skills as a software developer. 15. [Everyday Tech Solutions] Turning Feedback Data into Actionable Advice If you're working on something that users actually use, then you're most likely also acquiring data en masse. When it comes to free text feedback, this data might get lost or stay in the hands of some analysts. How to take a few easy steps, to turn that data into actionable steps instead. 16. Why Developer Advocates Are on the Rise Working as an educator in tech is very much an exercise in branding. If you define yourself as a trainer then clients assume you don’t really know what you’re talking about. But present yourself as a nerdy developer and they will assume you can’t teach. So you learn to strike a balance between the extremes with good humour and a healthy dose of humility. 17. There is More to Experience in Life than Work: Interview With Edward Aslin - Technical Lead Meet Edward Aslin, a Technical Director and Developer from North Wales. 18. Top 3 Online Mentoring Platforms For Startups Stop passive learning and hack your growth with a mentor 19. How to Get the Most from Your Programming Mentor-Mentee Relationship Having access to a more experienced programmer who wants to help you grow professionally can speed up your progress. How can you get the most from your mentor? 20. A Q&A With Learnfully's Suchi Deshpande on Listening Skills & Life Beyond the Job Description Hear Suchi Deshpande's story, co-founder of Learnfully and Twilio Developer Searchlight Honoree 21. How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome as a Software Engineer? In my short stint as a software engineer, I've always been incredibly lucky with the people surrounding me. 22. A Q&A With Virtual Coffee's Bekah Hawrot Weigel, on Creating & Finding Community Hear Bekah Hawrot Weigel's story - Virtual Coffee Creator and Twilio Developer Searchlight Honoree Bekah is the Creator and Technical Community Build 23. A Q&A With Slack's Rukmini Reddy on Data-Driven Mentorship, Career Paths, and Belonging Hear Rukmini Reddy's story - Slack SVP of Engineering and Twilio Developer Searchlight Honoree 24. Why Should a Programmer be a Mentor? The idea of mentoring is to provide gratuitous assistance to the mentee, therefore, on the one hand, few highly qualified specialists are ready for this. 25. What is Reverse Mentoring? Reverse mentoring occurs when young people become mentors of executives to guide them on various topics of strategic and cultural relevance. 26. A Self-Learner’s Guide to Combating UX Research & Design Misinformation UX education is saturated and it has become increasingly difficult to filter out the bad sources. Here’s how we can fix that. 27. Your Superpower: Change What You Control We focus so much on external change - getting approval from executives or people on other teams. To enact real change, focus on what you can control. 28. Mentor Vs. Developer: The Best Option to Hire When You Want to Launch Your Dream Project Mentor or Developer: The best option when you want to kickstart your dream project or your career in coding. 29. Mentors Are Like Magic Mushrooms I explain why mentors are like magic mushrooms and share six of the main ways that getting a mentor can help you develop professionally and personally. 30. Remote IT Mentoring and How to Use it for Effective Collaboration I’ve been mentoring people for IT roles for a long time. At first, these were friends or work colleagues who were asking me some job-related questions. 31. My Best Employees Keep Leaving and I Know I'm The Reason I keep losing my best employees. I know I'm the reason, but I refuse to change. So how do I screw up my best people? I challenge and provide them with feedback. 32. Why it's Tough to Be a Mentor Mentorship is not about teaching someone algorithms, recommending the "right books", or giving them tasks to solve. It's about people 33. 4 Ways to Elevate Each Other's Work as Women In Tech Rise in women entrepreneurship has been quite vivid in the past few years as we keep establishing organizations and move on to own an empire. While many have achieved success in establishing their identity as a founder, many others are struggling to get known to the world. 34. Bridging the Gap Between Technical & Non-technical Teams To a certain extent, this gap is caused by a relatively low priority that soft skills are given among tech employees. 35. What Whiplash Teaches Us About the "Sink or Swim" Method in Engineering I love movies - Particularly ones that can be referenced to bring a point home in a professional discussion. Such is the case with the movie “Whiplash” and the debate over the “sink or swim” methodology in engineer onboarding. 36. How Being A Mentor Can Be A Double Edged Sword Photo by James Pond on Unsplash 37. Coding Mentor: Why You Should Become One and How to Do It Hi! My name is Oleg Sklyarov, I work as a team leader of kids mobile development at Skyeng. In my free time, I mentor IT students. It’s been a great experience for me, so I want to share my story and insights I got from it. 38. A Q&A With Ashwin Kumar Uppala, Coach at Major League Hacking, on "Learning in Public" for New Devs Hear Ashwin Kumar Uppala's story - Coach at Major League Hacking and Twilio Developer Searchlight Honoree 39. Virtual Open Day 2021: Mentoring Over 150 Brilliant Students Virtually On 20th of February 2021 at CodeChem we organized the third Virtual Open Day, which many of us will remember for a long time. 40. Software Engineer Remi Denoyer’s Curiosity Propelled His Career at Mentoring Platform Plato Remi Denoyer learned to code and built his first basic application at the age of 14. He was the perfect founding engineer for Plato, a mentorship platform. 41. Experiencing the Magic of a ‘Mentor Moment’ Experiencing the Magic of a ‘Mentor Moment’ 42. Hack Your Way to Knowledge and Growth with a Mentor Mentorship is a great way to hack your way to knowledge & speed up your career progression without cutting corners or having to make your own costly mistakes. 43. Emotionally Intelligent Entrepreneurs Should Have These Traits Traits of an Emotionally Intelligent Entrepreneur 44. What do Spielberg and Zuckerberg Have in Common? Recently on the Success Story podcast, I had the pleasure of meeting one of America’s greatest business authors – and not just the greatest, but the youngest in U.S. history. 45. An Insider’s View of Working at a Walk-Up TechBar My experience mentoring interns in the Help Desk works and at a walk-up TechBar who were part of the Genesys Works program. Thank you for checking out the 45 most read stories about Mentorship on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

45 Stories To Learn About Mentorship

From Corporate Job to Solopreneurship — Insights From Running My Own Mentorship Business For a Year

কর্পোরেট জব থেকে সোলোপ্রেনিউরশিপ - এক বছরের জন্য আমার নিজের মেন্টরশিপ ব্যবসা চালানো থেকে অন্তর্দৃষ্টি

Vom Firmenjob zum Solopreneurship – Einblicke aus der einjährigen Führung meines eigenen Mentoring-Unternehmens

Del trabajo corporativo al emprendimiento individual: conocimientos adquiridos al administrar mi propio negocio de tutoría durante un año

Du travail en entreprise au solopreneuriat - Aperçu de la gestion de ma propre entreprise de mentorat pendant un an

कॉर्पोरेट नौकरी से सोलोप्रिन्योरशिप तक - एक वर्ष के लिए अपना खुद का मेंटरशिप व्यवसाय चलाने से अंतर्दृष्टि

会社員から個人事業主へ — 1 年間自分のメンターシップ ビジネスを運営して得た洞察

기업 취업에서 개인 창업까지 — 1년 동안 나만의 멘토십 사업을 운영하면서 얻은 통찰

Do trabalho corporativo ao solopreneurship - insights sobre como administrar meu próprio negócio de mentoria por um ano

Kurumsal İşlerden Solo Girişimciliğe — Bir Yıl Boyunca Kendi Mentorluk İşimi Yönetmekten İçgörüler

Từ công việc của công ty đến công việc kinh doanh cá nhân - Những hiểu biết sâu sắc về việc điều hành công việc kinh doanh cố vấn của riêng tôi trong một năm

从公司工作到个人创业——经营自己的导师业务一年的见解

Photo by on William Bout Unsplash First mentee I first explored mentoring during my 4th year at university. There was a mentorship program designed by the student executives at my department. The goal was to foster relationships and knowledge sharing. It sounded interesting, so I signed up. After a few weeks, the list got out, and I had my first mentee. I admit that I was nervous about it, but I embraced this new experience. I reached out, and we set up an introductory meeting. Luckily, there was an event, and it was convenient to attend and see her. We had a conversation, and that was the beginning. I invested some time in getting to know her and her aspirations, and we had more conversations over time: academics and life as a student. Considering the scope of our conversations wasn't wide, I was confident enough to give answers. Over time, as I got to experience life, our conversations evolved. I can call it a success because our relationship is still on today (since 2017). She's currently interning as a Frontend Engineer. I've had about ten mentees ever since. Comics templates from Balloon Comics Mentoring. Why? I learned that there is a knowledge gap, and this is one way to handle it. Everyone is at a stage in their lives where they need some insights into the next. This has a wide range of topics like relationships, marriage, career, friendships, specializations, and so on. So, anyone in the next stage can offer some guidance. I have always envied teachers growing up. I wonder how it feels to watch their wards grow up. The decision to be part of someone's story brings fulfillment to me. Knowing that all the knowledge you acquired through sweat and tears 😅 can help the next person avoid going through the same. My mentor search story When I left the university, I worked as a Frontend Engineer, the first one on the team, at a startup. Basically, there were many days when I needed some guidance or just extra eyes on my work. I had colleagues in other teams, but there were domain-specific topics I needed help with. So I asked my CEO, at the time, for assistance. He reached out to a few friends but couldn't find someone available to mentor me. So, I decided to follow a lot of people on Twitter and sent connection requests on LinkedIn to more experienced people. I also followed writers and publications on Medium. Basically, I took matters into my own hands to learn from the online community. This is something I'm truly grateful for. I got desperate and sent a cold DM to a popular influencer on Twitter. She had a startup of her own but wasn't an Engineer. I felt that I could learn from her. She was so impressed by the format of my message that she said she couldn't turn me down. We tried to meet on various occasions, but it didn't work out. So, I decided to learn from afar. Over time, I shifted my focus from looking for mentors to finding more people to mentor and guide and paying it forward. If whoever is serious about it and shows me their resolve, I get moved to invest more of my time. There have been cases where people reached out and didn't return to give updates or ask follow-up questions, and that's fine. What to expect? Take time to outline what you want your mentor to help with. It will help you choose someone and help track your growth in that specific area. Know what you want from the experience. Don't fall into the trap of thinking a mentor will save you. The onus is on you to take charge of the situation and take action. Do not see a mentor as a savior or place them on a pedestal. In the end, a mentor is also human with goals and aspirations. Think of how you can also give some value to your mentor. Relationship building goes both ways. It could be a gift, offering to help with a few things, or even caring about their wellbeing. Do not outsource all of your thoughts to your mentor. When I found a mentor, I kept asking questions that I needed to figure out myself and outsourcing my thoughts to her, and it didn't work out. I figured out that this was a problem later on. Not all relationships need to turn into mentorship. Sometimes, a few counseling sessions are fine. Final thoughts Finding a mentor can be an arduous task, I admit. Alternatively, you can pick role models and learn from afar like I did. The personal relationship might not be there, but this can be a huge step in the right direction. And if you find a mentor, cherish that relationship 🫡. I have approached mentorship with an open mind. I try not to push my thoughts or ideas but let the other person see it for themselves. I don't want my mentees to follow my path without conviction and lose their sense of self and individuality. So, it gives me great joy to know that my mentees are doing well for themselves. That, in itself, is enough for me. If you want to have a mentorship session with me, you can also . book a session Also published . here

Reflecting On My Time Mentoring

You've probably been there: a newbie in the tech industry, eyes wide, in front of a codebase that looks like a maze, full of uncertainty. Now, you're a mid-level developer, a seasoned coder with a few laps around that maze under your belt. One crucial role you'll play is that of a mentor to junior developers, shepherding them as they navigate the maze for the first time. As Uncle Ben once said to Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility." In this case, the 'power' is your experience, and the 'responsibility' is to foster the growth of your less experienced team members. But don't worry! Here's your guide on how to mentor effectively, contribute to the team's growth, and mold the next generation of tech talent. Why Mentorship Matters Mentoring is not just beneficial for the mentee; it's a win-win situation. By sharing your experiences, insights, and tribal knowledge, you're helping junior developers accelerate their learning curve. In return, mentoring offers you an opportunity to refine your communication which helps you clarify and solidify your own understanding. More broadly, mentoring gives provides a fresh perspective, improves your leadership skills, and contributes to a collaborative team culture. about your craft Mentoring Strategies for Mid-Level Developers Every junior developer is unique, with different strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. Understanding their background and career goals will help you tailor your mentoring approach to meet their needs effectively. Understanding Their Background and Goals: For learning and growth, it's essential to create an environment where junior developers feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, and seeking help. Building trust takes time, but it's the foundation of a successful mentor-mentee relationship. Fostering a Safe and Trusting Environment: Coding skills are crucial, but soft skills are often what distinguish successful developers. Teach them how to communicate effectively, manage their time, work as part of a team, and solve problems. Remember, you're not just mentoring a coder but a whole person. Teaching Soft Skills: Feedback is the breakfast of champions. Constructive feedback helps junior developers identify areas for improvement. However, it's not just about pointing out the areas they're lacking but also highlighting what they're doing well and should continue. Providing Constructive Feedback: Remember the old saying, "Show, don't tell." When a junior developer encounters a problem, instead of just giving them the solution, walk them through the problem-solving process. This way, they'll learn how to approach similar issues in the future. Demonstrating Instead of Directing: In our industry, the only constant is change. Continuous learning is a must. Inspire them to keep up with the latest tech trends, attend workshops, webinars, and read. Learning should be part of their daily routine, not just something done when a problem arises. Encouraging Continuous Learning: While ambition and drive are necessary, it's essential to encourage a healthy work-life balance. Share your strategies for avoiding burnout and maintaining productivity without sacrificing personal well-being. Promoting Balance: Mentorship Challenges and Overcoming Them Mentoring isn't always easy. You may face challenges like time constraints, lack of trust, or communication gaps. It's important to remain patient, empathetic, and flexible. Also, seek feedback from your mentees. Their feedback can provide valuable insights into improving your mentoring style. The Ripple Effect of Mentorship By stepping up as a mentor, you're setting a positive example for junior developers. When they advance in their careers, they'll likely pay it forward by mentoring the next generation of developers. This ripple effect contributes to a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and mutual support in our industry. Embrace mentorship. No, you don't have to be a level 10 expert to be one. A level 3 can successfully offer value to 1's and 2's. Yes, you'll encounter challenges, but the rewards of witnessing your mentee's growth, enhancing your own skills, and contributing to a nurturing team culture far outweigh them. As they say, the best way to learn is to teach. Also published . here

Mentoring Juniors: Tips for Mid-Level to Senior Developers

Good mentors help unlock your hidden potential. They may not only offer advice when you’re stuck with a problem but also help you get over your own limiting beliefs. They tell you things you may not want to hear which keeps you grounded in reality. They’re your sounding board to determine which ideas are feasible and practical and which ones aren’t worth pursuing. With the support of a good mentor, you can build a kick-ass career instead of simply dragging your feet. But how do you find such a person and why should they mentor you? What should you do to turn this into a long-lasting relationship instead of a one-way deal? Most people want to be mentored but aren’t willing to put in the effort to find the right mentor. They either blame the organization or hold their boss responsible for not getting the mentorship they need. Often what starts as harmless self-pity turns into a victim mentality: I don’t know who to ask for help. I have no one to guide me. My boss doesn’t care about my growth. My workplace sucks. No one’s invested in me. I am never going to succeed. A victim mindset makes you accept defeat. You refuse to take responsibility and leave it to others or a stroke of luck to get what you need. To find the right mentor, the first step is a shift in beliefs—stop blaming others and take ownership. You’re responsible for finding the right mentor, not your organization or your boss. It’s not their career, it’s yours. Once you’re willing to put in the effort and make it work, follow these 5 steps to approach a mentor. You’ll not only find the perfect mentor by your side but also feel empowered to take your career where it needs to be. It’s time to WAKE UP and make empowering choices. ― Darren Hardy 5 Steps to Find the Right Mentor Who Can Help You Grow Step 1: Define What You Need You’ll not have one mentor throughout life. Your needs will change, and so will your mentor. Don’t rush to find a mentor unless you know what you need first. To do this, think about: What are some of the challenges you’re facing at work? What kind of help do you need? What important qualities do you value in a mentor? For example, someone who trusts you, treats you with respect, values your input, etc. What are some of the things you won’t tolerate in a mentor? For example, someone with a my way or highway attitude, who looks down upon you, or who has anger issues. What experience, knowledge, or skills should they possess? Create a persona of this mentor in your mind and map it to your needs. Visualize working with them—collaborating on problems, learning new skills, and finding better ways of doing things. How do they make you feel? Once you have created a mental image of your mentor, the next step is to start the search. Step 2: Search the Pool When you know what you want, it’s easier to reach for it. With the mentor sketched out, do this: Think about the people you admire at work. It could be your boss, a senior, or someone from another function or team. Does anyone match your mentor persona? Look within your network—people you worked with in the past, friends, or any other network connection who fits the bill. Ask your friends, colleagues, manager, or other acquaintances for mentors they suggest. Does anyone come close to what you need? At this point, don’t let your self-limiting beliefs reject potential mentors with the thinking that they will never agree to it. Give yourself permission to be surprised. Don’t be too picky either. Be flexible, and don’t reject mentors without first giving them a try. Once you have these mentors shortlisted, stack rank them in order of your preference. Then repeat the next two steps till you lock down on one. You don’t have to do it for every person on the list—that will be time-consuming and unnecessary. Just stop as soon as you find the one who agrees to it. Step 3: Validate for Fit While the picture of that mentor you have in mind appears perfect from a distance, what evidence do you have? You can’t know someone unless you have actually tested them in reality. How can you be sure that they’re really the right fit for you (and you for them)? How can you make sure they understand your challenges and what you need from them? You shouldn’t ask them to mentor you without being sure. Remember: there’s no backing off once they say a . yes To find the right mentor, invite the person you wish to be your mentor for a 20-30 mins coffee chat. To ensure they accept your invitation, do this: Mention what about their work impresses you, and why you admire them. Share examples, instances, or any other piece of information that makes it authentic and doesn’t look like flattery. Tell them about your work and a little bit about yourself. Don’t shy away from sharing a few personal details—it is what connects. Tell them you need their advice on a career or a struggle you’re currently facing at work. Mention they are the best person to help you with this. Ask them if they will be willing to speak to you for 20-30 mins. It will be very difficult for them to reject a request from someone who values their experience and expertise. When you meet them, don’t be too formal. Start by thanking them for their time, ask a few casual questions, and then seek their advice on a career or a work-related struggle. Keep the purpose of your conversation to get to know them and evaluate if they’re the right fit for you: Do they understand your struggle? Did they focus on solving your problem or just impressing you? How much did they listen as opposed to speaking? Did you feel the connection? Was it a good conversation? Do you want them to mentor you? If the answer to the last question is yes, put their advice to practice. Wait 2-3 weeks, and then move on to the next step. Irrespective of your decision, appreciate their time, and send them a thank you note after the meeting. Step 4: Reach Out and Ask For It People appreciate when you state your intentions clearly and explicitly ask for what you need instead of having them interpret it. Make it easy for your mentor to say a by sending them a note and explicitly asking for it: yes Ease into it by reminding them of the previous conversation, their advice, and how it worked out for you. Tell them why they would be a perfect mentor and what their mentorship would mean to you. Show curiosity to learn from them, take their advice seriously, and commit to doing whatever it takes to build a thriving mentor-mentee relationship. Ask them if they would be willing to spend another 20-30 mins to establish goals, discuss responsibilities, time commitment, and other communication preferences to take this further. End by stating that you’d be grateful to have them as a mentor and will do your best to be a good mentee to them. To realize value, mentoring partners must create relationships where both mentor and mentee can show up fully and authentically. ― Lois J. Zachary Don’t take it to heart if they reject the idea to mentor you. It’s not personal. Don’t overthink their decision as you will never know the reason—you don’t know how busy they are or what other priorities made them say no. Instead, thank them for replying to your message, and repeat steps 3 and 4 with another potential mentor. All this effort will be worth it with the right mentor by your side to coach you and guide you as you reach for your dreams. Step 5: Make It a Two-Way Street Most mentees make this mistake. They spend all their time and energy identifying what they can get from the relationship without focusing on what the mentor gets in return. After all, if your mentor is spending so much time and sharing their resources and experience with you, shouldn’t there be something in it for them? Your mentor’s job is to help you succeed, but it’s not a one-way street. No relationship can survive if all you do is take without giving anything back in return. To build a thriving relationship with your mentor, do this: Keep them updated on your progress. Let them know how their advice panned out. What worked? What didn’t work? Even if the outcome does not match their expectations, there will be learning in it for them. Inquire about their work from time to time and show enthusiasm from your side by offering help and supporting them. Share your feedback and ask them to do the same. They will value the opportunity to become a better mentor to you and others. One of the most beneficial aspects of mentoring is its inherent reciprocity. When reciprocity is present, both mentor and mentee fully engage in the relationship. ― Lisa Fain People remember good mentors and mentees throughout their life. Even if their path goes separate ways, the journey stays with them forever. Good mentees can become successful mentors one day. Do your best to find the right mentor and nurture this relationship. Summary A good mentor can guide you, empower you, increase your confidence, push you out of your comfort zone, and help you reach your potential. But you can’t find a mentor unless you’re willing to put in the effort. Start with defining what you need from a mentor—what challenges are you facing, what help do you need, what experience should they have, and what qualities they need to possess. Create a mental image of this mentor. Now, search for this mentor in your available pool—look around the office, other network connections, or ask for advice from friends and coworkers. Stack rank the list in order of preference. Before making a request to be your mentor, validate if they’re the right fit for you. To do this, set up a small meeting and ask for their advice on a career or a work-related issue. Once you’re convinced to take this forward, explicitly make a request and ask for it. Strengthen the relationship by shifting from being a taker to giving back in return. Previously published . here

A Guide to Finding a Mentor Who Can Accelerate Your Career

আপনার কর্মজীবনকে ত্বরান্বিত করতে পারে এমন একজন পরামর্শদাতা খোঁজার জন্য একটি গাইড

Ein Leitfaden zur Suche nach einem Mentor, der Ihre Karriere beschleunigen kann

Una guía para encontrar un mentor que pueda acelerar su carrera

Un guide pour trouver un mentor qui peut accélérer votre carrière

एक ऐसे गुरु को ढूंढने के लिए एक मार्गदर्शिका जो आपके करियर को गति दे सके

あなたのキャリアを加速させてくれるメンターを見つけるためのガイド

경력을 가속화할 수 있는 멘토를 찾는 가이드

Um guia para encontrar um mentor que pode acelerar sua carreira

Kariyerinizi Hızlandırabilecek Bir Mentor Bulma Rehberi

Hướng dẫn tìm một người cố vấn có thể thúc đẩy sự nghiệp của bạn

寻找能够加速你职业发展的导师的指南

Women in Tech: Interview with Diana Akchurina, Tech Founder and Mentor

A software engineer mentor can be an invaluable asset, whether you're just starting out in your career or you've been working as an engineer for a few years. A good mentor will be able to teach you the ropes, provide advice and guidance when you need it, and help you navigate the often-complicated world of software engineering. Who is a software engineer mentor? A software engineer mentor is a more experienced software engineer who provides guidance, support, and advice to a less experienced software engineer. A software engineer mentor can help you learn the intricacies of software engineering, navigate the industry, and advance your career. They can be enormously valuable, especially if you're just starting out in your career. Not only are they knowledgeable in their field, but they also have years of experience that they can share with you. If you're looking for a career in software engineering, or if you want to become a better software engineer, then a software engineer mentor is definitely someone worth considering. What does a software engineer mentor do? A software engineer mentor helps junior software engineers learn and grow in their careers. They provide their technical expertise to help a junior software engineer become a better developer. Additionally, a programming mentor can help foster a sense of community within the software engineering team. Typically, a computer science mentor takes the role of a teacher, coach, and advisor that helps software engineers grow in their career. A software engineer mentor typically has working as a software engineer, although anyone who is more experienced than a person being a mentee can potentially become their programming mentor. Software engineer mentors have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with their apprentices. Additionally, they are typically patient, good communicators, and have a positive attitude. at least 3-5 years of experience Why do I need a mentor? There are a few key reasons why having a software engineer mentor is so important. Specifically, they can help you: Receive career guidance Solve real-world engineering problems Learn new and technologies programming languages Understand computer science concepts Prepare for technical interviews Get a promotion Develop a network of software engineering contacts How do I find a software engineer mentor? The best way to find a software engineer mentor is to reach out to your network of engineers and ask if anyone is willing to serve as a mentor for you. Additionally, there are a number of online directories that can help you connect with potential mentors, such as sources like and . Once you've found a few potential mentors, reach out to them and set up a time to meet so that you can get to know them better and see if they're a good fit for you. Github Stack Overflow Your network Your network is your best asset when it comes to finding a software engineer mentor. Ask your friends, colleagues, and online contacts if they know anyone who would be a good programming mentor for you. Often, the best mentors are people who you already know and trust. Utilize your LinkedIn connections, ask your friends if they know anyone, and reach out to software engineers who you admire online. Work Your workplace is one of the best places to find a programming mentor. Many companies have mentorship programs in place that pair experienced software engineers with junior developers. If your company doesn't have a formal mentorship program, reach out to your manager or a software engineer that you respect and see if they would be willing to serve as your mentor. Events Attend different computer science events with an eye out for potential mentors. For example, you can attend software engineering conferences, meetups, and . These events are great places to network with other software engineers and find a mentor. hackathons Online communities - HackerNoon is a large international community of coders, engineers, and technology enthusiasts. Connect with authors and community members who catch your attention! They even have a you can apply for. HackerNoon blogging fellowship - this platform is a great place to find software engineer mentors. There are a number of software engineering mentors on Github who are willing to help others learn and grow in their career. GitHub - this programming forum is where you can ask questions and get answers from other software engineers and potentially find a personal mentor. Stack Overflow - Blind is an anonymous software engineer community where you can post questions and get advice from other software engineers, some of whom could show interest in guiding you on a regular basis. Blind - LinkedIn is a great place to search and connect with potential software engineer mentors; simply follow and interact with prospective mentors before contacting them. LinkedIn channels - There are a number of software engineering Slack channels where you can engage with other software engineers and ask for help finding a mentor. These include channels like CodeNewbie, Women Who Code, and FreeCodeCamp. Slack groups - General groups on Facebook where you could find mentors are Software Engineering Daily, Software Engineering Beginners, and Software Engineers. Facebook - There are a few software engineering subreddits like r/learnprogramming, r/cscareerquestions, and r/programming that could help you find software engineering mentors. Reddit These are just a few of the many places where you network with other software engineers and find a computer science mentor, but they are plenty to get started and find a few potential leads! Specialized platforms There are a number of matching directories that can help you connect with potential software engineer mentors. These directories typically allow you to match with mentors based on location, expertise, and other factors. Some of the online directories for finding software engineer mentors include: https://www.codementor.io/ https://codingcoach.io/ https://mentorcruise.com/filter/coding/ https://www.mentoring-club.com/the-mentors/category/software-engineering https://exercism.org/ How do I first reach out to a potential programming mentor? The first time you reach out to a potential mentor, whether it is through email, instant message, or an online platform, you should follow the following steps: - let the potential mentor know who you are, what you do, and why you are interested in working with them. Introduce yourself - always show respect for the potential mentor's time and experience. Be polite and respectful - let the potential mentor know what you are hoping to gain from the mentorship relationship. Be clear about what you are looking for - once you have introduced yourself and explained what you are looking for, ask the potential mentor if they would be available to talk to you through a phone call, video chat, or an in-person get-together. Ask if they are available for a call or meet-up - even if the potential mentor is not available to meet with you, be sure to thank them for taking the time to speak with you. Thank them for their time A sample email from you to a mentor you would like to work with should look like this: "Hi (name of potential mentor), My name is (Your Name) and I am a software engineer at (Your Company). I am interested in your expertise as a software developer and would love receive some guidance, and perhaps mentorship, on your behalf. (Give a few reasons why you would like to work with this software engineer mentor). I am hoping to gain (list a few things you hope to gain from the mentorship relationship). Would you be available for a call or meetup so we can further discuss the possibility of working together? Thank you for your time. Sincerely, (Your Name) (Your Contact Information)" As a response, you will often get one of the following: The software engineer mentor agrees to meet with you and establishes/asks for a meeting time. The software engineer mentor is unavailable but refers you to another software engineer they think would be a good fit for you. The software engineer mentor is unavailable and does not refer you to another software engineer. No matter what response you get, always be polite and respectful. If the software engineer mentor is unable to meet with you, thank them for their time and move on to another potential mentor. How do I communicate with my software engineer mentor? After you have received a green light for setting up a meeting with a potential mentor, you should agree on a date and time, and preferably the duration of your first meeting. This can be done over email, phone, or another software engineering platform. Here are some suggestions for your first meeting: - take some time to chat and get to know one another. Discuss your interests, experiences, and backgrounds. The software engineer mentor should also share their expectations for the mentorship relationship. Get to know each other - share your career goals with the software engineer mentor and ask for their advice. Discuss your goals - agree on how often you will meet, what communication platform you will use, and what format your meetings will take. Will they be video calls, in-person meetings, or something else? Set some ground rules Now that you have established a relationship with a software engineer mentor, it is important to keep up communication and follow through on your commitments. Make sure to respect the software engineer mentor's time by being punctual for meetings and prepared with questions or topics to discuss. Also, be sure to follow up after each meeting with action items or goals that you discussed. Thank the software engineer mentor regularly for their advice and guidance. Mentorship relationships are built on trust, respect, and communication. By following these tips, you can set yourself up for a successful mentorship relationship with a software engineer mentor. What questions should I ask my software engineer mentor? So what questions should you ask your mentor? Here are a few suggestions to get you started: What inspired you to become a software engineer? What is your favorite thing about being a software engineer? What has been the most challenging thing about your career? What has been the biggest accomplishment of your career? Do you have any advice for me as I pursue a career in software engineering? What do you think is the most important skill for a software engineer to have? What are some common mistakes that software engineers make early in their careers? What projects are you working on that I can help with? Can you introduce me to any other software engineers that I can learn from? These are just a few suggestions to get you started. As you get to know your software engineer mentor, you will be able to ask more specific questions about their experience and advice. Remember, the goal of the mentorship relationship is to help you grow as a software engineer, so ask whatever questions will help you achieve that goal. How to benefit from a software engineer mentor? In order to benefit from having a mentor, it's important that you maintain communication with them on a regular basis. Additionally, it's important that you keep them updated on your career progress and any major projects that you're working on so that they can provide feedback and guidance when necessary. In order to get the most benefit from your mentor-mentee relationship, you should ask your mentor for help in all career-relevant situations, such as job search, interviewing, networking, and so on. By involving your mentor in every aspect of your career, you will be able to benefit from their wealth of experience and knowledge. How often should I communicate with my software engineer mentor? So how often should you communicate with your computer science mentor? That depends on your schedules and the goals that you've set for the mentorship relationship. However, a good rule of thumb is to communicate with your mentor , whether that's through a meeting in person, video call, or email. Make sure to communicate more often if you're working on a major project or facing a difficult career decision. By maintaining regular communication with your software engineer mentor, you will be able to get the most benefit from the relationship. at least once per month Do I have to pay my programming mentor? You don't have to pay your mentor unless you've agreed to do so. In most cases, mentorship relationships are voluntary and there is no expectation of payment. However, if you feel like you're getting a lot of value from the relationship and you want to show your appreciation, you can always offer to pay your mentor for their time. Ultimately, it's up to you and your mentor to decide whether or not payment is appropriate. On the other hand, some mentorship matching platforms, such as , do charge for their services. In these cases, you will likely be expected to pay for your mentor's time. If you're using a paid platform, make sure to factor the cost into your budget. CodeMentor What's Next? Now that you know how to find and establish a relationship with a software engineer mentor, it's time to put that knowledge into practice. Start by reaching out to software engineers that you know and asking if they would be willing to be your mentor. If you don't know any software engineers, try attending meetups or networking events specifically for software engineers. Alternatively, you can also look for mentorship programs offered by companies or organizations. You can also look for software engineer mentors through online directories or matching platforms. Once you've found a computer mentor, it's important to set some goals for the mentorship relationship. What do you hope to accomplish? How can your mentor help you achieve those goals? By setting clear objectives, you will be able to get the most out of your mentorship experience. Finally, don't forget to show appreciation for your programming mentor. Remember, they are taking time out of their busy schedules to help you grow as a software engineer. With regular communication and appreciation, you'll be able to benefit greatly from having a mentor in your corner. I hope this article has helped you understand the importance of mentorship for software engineers. Software engineer mentors can help you accelerate your career by providing guidance, advice, and support. So if you haven't already, make sure to find yourself a software engineer mentor today!

Where to Find a Software Engineer Mentor (and How to Benefit From Them)

Mutual respect, trust, shared ideals, and effective communication are the hallmarks of a successful mentoring relationship. Being a mentor means being a reliable counselor. It all comes down to being accessible to offer assistance, guidance, and advice in a manner that makes sense to the person receiving it. Many wonder if they are even qualified to mentor an individual in their career. Although you might not feel like you are an ‘expert’, it is important to note that we are all on a constant learning journey and that your experience can help shape someone else’s future. Mentoring means lending your expertise, but also (and especially) your advice on the roadblocks you had to overcome so that your mentee can reach their full potential. Being a mentor, especially when starting out, could be overwhelming - here are some crucial steps I believe each mentor should take in order to build a long-lasting relationship with their mentees. Step 1: Carefully Select Mentees The very first step into an effective mentoring relationship is the careful selection of your mentees. This means that not only do you most likely want to look for someone who will listen and implement the learnings from your guidance, but you must consider individuals you believe you can actually help. Listen and find out what your mentee truly needs help with. Once you have gotten to the core of what they are looking to get out of this relationship, be honest about whether you can actually help them in that area. If you don’t believe to be experienced enough to help them, let them know of the specific support you can provide, and ask if that would still work for them. Step 2: Set Expectations Establishing expectations will help both you and your mentee make the best of this relationship. Start by clarifying your expectations for a successful mentoring relationship, the amount of time you will be able to make available for them in the future, and how and where they can reach you. Let them clearly know if you do not wish to be contacted via phone, and keep the relationship to just emails. Set the ground for expectations, but also leave an open-door policy that will allow your mentee to feel relaxed when approaching you - we all dislike not being able to be completely honest with someone just because we fear not being understood! Finally, be sure to emphasize that accountability is crucial for a successful mentoring relationship. Step 3: Set a Timeline When starting off a mentor-mentee type relationship, you are both getting to know each other. This initial phase will help you understand more about how you both work; the mentor might look into adjusting their way of ‘guiding’ to align more with their mentees’ way of learning, and the mentee might have to make some changes too. Mentors should reassure their mentees that if they feel like they are not a good fit, then they would be able to terminate the relationship - no questions asked. Although this advice would work both ways, it can sometimes be difficult, especially from a mentee's point of view, to close contact with a person who has already dedicated time to them. The easiest way to help you both understand if you work well together would be by setting a specific timeline for your relationship. This could be 3, 6, or even 12 months. If you are mentoring as part of a network such as WomenTech, then you might want to suggest reviewing your mentoring relationship at the next cohort. Step 4: Follow Up & Set an Agenda Once you have set expectations and a timeline, you want to make sure to always follow up after each call and to set an agenda. Here is what I like to follow up with: Thanking the mentee and letting them know how they can book our next meeting. An overview of what we have talked about during our call and the main points my mentee said they wanted to focus on. My feedback on any doubts or queries they have brought up during the meeting. Setting an initial ‘next call agenda’: Keeping my mentee accountable for the tasks they said they wanted to focus on before our next call. Space for my mentee to be able to let me know if they would like to change the agenda or focus on other things in our next meeting This system will enable you to not only keep your mentee accountable but also serve as a reminder for the mentor in case they want to research or prepare anything specific before the next meeting. Step 5: Help With Resources As a mentor, it is important that you also share any available resources with your mentee. Sharing useful material or information can help not only strengthen your relationship but also help your mentee reach their goals faster. It can involve putting them in touch with someone who has worked in their ideal position or suggesting a conference they might find interesting. Keep track of your mentee’s goals as well as the areas they wish to improve and share valuable information.

How to Be a Great Mentor in 5 Steps

The Noonification: What I Learned Using ChatGPT as a Programming Mentor (5/8/2023)

What I Learned Using ChatGPT as a Programming Mentor

আমি প্রোগ্রামিং মেন্টর হিসাবে ChatGPT ব্যবহার করে যা শিখেছি

Was ich mit ChatGPT als Programmier-Mentor gelernt habe

Lo que aprendí usando ChatGPT como mentor de programación

Ce que j'ai appris en utilisant ChatGPT en tant que mentor en programmation

प्रोग्रामिंग मेंटर के रूप में चैटजीपीटी का उपयोग करके मैंने क्या सीखा

プログラミングメンターとしてChatGPTを使用して学んだこと

프로그래밍 멘토로서 ChatGPT를 사용하여 배운 것

O que aprendi usando o ChatGPT como mentor de programação

Programlama Mentoru Olarak ChatGPT'yi Kullanarak Öğrendiklerim

Những gì tôi đã học được khi sử dụng ChatGPT với tư cách là Người cố vấn lập trình

作为编程导师，我使用 ChatGPT 学到了什么

Welcome to the latest in our series of Q&As with inspirational mentors and community builders in the technology industry! It’s an honor to have had the opportunity to hear from these inspirational leaders who dedicate their time and positive energy to shaping a better future for developers. Each interviewee is a recipient of Twilio's project, which we created to celebrate the most inspirational, motivating mentors who are uplifting developers in 2022 through community, mentorship, or code. Developer Searchlight Today, let’s get to know Rukmini Reddy. Rukmini is the SVP of Engineering, Platform at Slack. She joined Slack in 2020 to lead teams that deliver exceptional first-party and third-party app experience, as well as drive the vision of Workflow Builder - Slack's no-code automation tool. Before Slack, she was VP of Engineering at Abstract, Model N, and other enterprise SaaS companies. Her experience as an immigrant, a woman, and a developer with over a decade of technical experience, has prepared her to lead large and diverse engineering teams, and forge genuine human connections with her colleagues. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been juggling work and home-school like most parents in recent times for her twin boys. Who are you, where are you based, and what are you working on right now? I’m Rukmini Reddy and I am an SVP of Engineering for Slack based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. I currently lead the engineering teams at Slack, with a focus on Workflow Builder. Right now, we’re working on bringing our completely re-engineered platform to everyone so they have the tools to make work simpler, more pleasant, and more productive with the power of automation. Congratulations on being selected as a Twilio Developer Searchlight honoree. What does being a mentor or community builder mean to you? Thank you! Mentorship has played such a huge role in my career development and it’s something I’m now dedicated to providing my teams. Being a mentor and community builder means creating safe spaces and communities where people can do the best work of their lives. You do this by being transparent, data-driven, and sharing feedback based on their actual performance. You invest in your relationships with people by caring about them in a genuine, consistent way. It makes a world of difference to get to know people, their families, their pets, and their hobbies outside of work. I also call my team members and spend time with them to learn what they are struggling with so I can help them figure out how to solve their problems. I have their back, and they have mine. We give each other the space to fail and time to learn, then we go and do it again. That’s how we build amazing products: together. You are passionate about empowering women of color in the tech industry - tell me more about how you incorporate this passion into your role at Slack and how it translates into a successful, collaborative team environment? Women of color are still dramatically underrepresented in the tech industry, and while things are changing, they aren’t changing quick enough. When I first began my career, I rarely saw people that looked like me in leadership positions. As I’m finding myself in those roles now, I feel like it’s my job to build an environment that shows that we have each other’s backs – one that brings up peoples’ names behind closed doors in management meetings, involves them in discussions around important issues, and judges them on their actual performance. Myself and other female leaders within Slack have formed close circles with each other to share our experiences and it’s such a great community to be part of. We’re constantly learning from each other and we work hard to provide mentorship opportunities to help elevate more women so they feel empowered to fill those senior roles. At Slack, we try to inspire our team members by mapping out their career paths. By identifying each person’s strengths and development areas, we help them determine their long-term journey and then pair them with projects that align with their own skills and interests. We also define different archetypes to show each person what different types of engineers they can be at Slack— a builder, generalist, organizer, technologist, and Kickstarter. These definitions help us show all the key roles of teams and publicly equalize different strengths that help managers remove bias and further empower their team members. What’s your one best piece of advice for aspiring or early-in-career developers? Imposter syndrome is real, and it never goes away. Even after two decades, I can sometimes struggle with it. Just remember: you belong! If you ever start to feel yourself losing confidence, don’t hesitate to ask your team for help and support. Just for fun: what was your first computer or your most memorable piece of tech? I actually didn't own my first computer until my freshman year in college when I started studying computer science. My parents saved for several months to be able to afford my Compaq PC, which is what I ended up teaching myself C++ on. To this day, I still have such vivid memories of the sounds of the modem while using dial-up internet and using Yahoo Messenger to chat with my friends. Thank you, , for taking the time to share your story. Stay tuned to learn more about the honorees in our series of interviews. You can also read more about the honorees in this , which unpacks how they’re shaping a better future for developers. Rukmini Insider article

A Q&A With Slack's Rukmini Reddy on Data-Driven Mentorship, Career Paths, and Belonging

Welcome to the first in a series of Q&As I’m publishing with inspirational mentors and community builders in the technology industry! It’s an honor to have had the opportunity to hear from these inspirational leaders who dedicate their time and positive energy to shaping a better future for developers. At Twilio, I’m inspired every day by the camaraderie of our Developer Network team and their passion for helping others to learn and put our tools to good use. From hackathons to docs to fun tutorials, it’s all in the name of helping builders to unlock their creative potential through code. To me, there’s nothing more important than a great mentor - especially as we continue to navigate the turbulent times that 2020 so brutally ushered in. I am so grateful for the role models and career coaches I’ve had in my corner along the way. I’m also thankful for the industry meetups, local volunteering placements, and Slack communities that are in my orbit - both because they are inclusive learning spaces but also because they create opportunities to give back. In the developer community, mentorship can play a major role in fostering community. In fact, according to GitHub’s , mentorship doubles the likelihood of a strong, sustainable culture. Contrary to what some stereotypes might suggest, being a developer is not a solo mission. Knowledge sharing and mutual support both spurs innovation and makes us all better at what we do. research That’s why we created Twilio's – to celebrate the most inspirational, motivating mentors who are uplifting developers in 2022 through community, mentorship, or code. Handpicked by an esteemed , these honorees are recognized for playing a pivotal role in shaping developer careers in a variety of ways, from virtual community building to school initiatives such as student-run coding contests and educational webinars. Developer Searchlight panel of expert judges Let’s get to know one of our standout honorees, Marcus Eagan! Marcus is a Staff Product Manager at MongoDB and represents one of the six honorees being recognized by Twilio, Stack Overflow, and Hustle Crew for his work championing developers around the globe. He always finds time to uplift others and provide insight into what it takes to pursue a career as a developer. An active and vocal contributor to the developer community, Marcus has made connections with developers from all over the world through blog content and speaking engagements – all while still finding time to code himself. Who are you, where are you based, and what are you working on right now? I’m a longtime open source hacker and problem solver from Detroit’s Westside. I’m based in Palo Alto, California. Right now, I’m laser-focused on three efforts: Enabling application builders everywhere to move faster and with more confidence to address the problems plaguing our world Ensuring that the technological balance of power does not shift back to closed-source tools and protocols that hinder innovation - especially outside of the western world - due to information asymmetry, security concerns, and prohibitive and predatory pricing Upskilling and supporting developers from all over the world looking to level up through open source community participation and usage Congratulations on being selected as a Twilio Developer Searchlight honoree. What does being a mentor or community builder mean to you? First of all, it’s an honor — I’m hype. Twilio has been such an inspiration and an important tool for me since the beginning of my career (I was an early user of Authy!). A co-founder of 500 Startups told me the best pitch he ever saw from a startup was a demo from Jeff Lawson of Twilio at the beginning of the meeting. It really shifted my thinking from tell to show, which is a big part of why I love open source so much and how I go about doing things. Also, by Jeff Lawson was super influential in my thinking. So yeah, definitely an honor and super humbling over anything else. “Ask Your Developer” Secondly, it’s more motivation. When I walk through some parts of San Francisco heading to my office, I see a different level of strife than I am accustomed to in my own life. It’s a small reminder that there are so many people in the world that have an array of unsolved problems. I don’t think technology can solve all of them today, but we can iterate on more solutions more quickly. Thirdly, it’s a reminder that this honor is really one of my parents and grandparents who “held it down.” My grandmother Joann, born to a sharecropper, was supporting my wild adventures in open source programming languages, OpenWRT, MongoDB, and Elasticsearch back when I had absolutely no money but could try things out and seek to solve problems. There’s something magical about it. You are passionate about uplifting developers from diverse backgrounds - tell me more about how you’re reaching people around the world and how you hope to inspire them? Two ways: I’ve been actively investing in startup companies based in Africa, Asia, and lesser-capitalized European cities because I view them as fundamentally closer to the problems of most people than Silicon Valley. I’ve been mentoring and consulting engineers around the world in places like Lagos, Dhaka, Kenya, and Latin America to help them get involved with or extend open source projects. The hope is that they grow their skills and get hired or start companies. It’s already happened in the case of one engineer from Bangladesh who has a really cool job now. I meet engineers in forums, GitHub, conferences, and sometimes LinkedIn. Occasionally engineers just reach out to me. In some cases, they’re much more talented so I try to point them in the right direction of high-value problems to tackle. In all cases, they are more motivated to jump right in and start building. I am hoping to inspire people to find the flame in themselves. Ultimately, I’m hoping to inspire builders of a more equitable world. I look a lot for socio-economic diversity as well for that reason. What’s your one best piece of advice for aspiring or early-in-career developers? I don’t like to give advice and am happy to just share my experience, so you decide but: Run your own race. There will be many faces and places that are all great in different ways, but you should define ‘great’ for yourself to endure the challenges to come. Just for fun: what was your first computer or your most memorable piece of tech? The first computer I personally owned was a TI-83, but the most memorable piece of technology was Encyclopedia Britannica on Floppy Disk. I love encyclopedias and never forgot that experience. Thank you, , for taking the time to share your story. Stay tuned to learn more about the honorees in our series of interviews. You can also read more about the honorees in this , which unpacks how they’re shaping a better future for developers. Marcus Insider article

A Q&A with MongoDB's Marcus Eagan on Developer Mentorship & Building a More Equitable World

The fact that learned to code and built his first basic application at the young age of 14 surprised no one, but himself. He had always been a curious child, eager to learn new skills, take in new information, and create what he could with his new skills. Remi Denoyer While traveling, he would collect rocks, study them, and compare them to other rocks from around the world. His natural propensity for learning, problem-solving, and getting others excited about learning has made him the perfect founding engineer for , a mentorship platform for engineering leaders. Plato Throughout his studies, Remi set himself apart from his classmates. Often too smart for his own good, he wasn’t afraid to challenge his teachers or cause a bit of trouble in class, always knowing that he’d still excel at the exams. Though he loved physics and chemistry in high school, his math grades were often where he struggled most. After high school, he studied at Ecole Polytechnique before advancing to UC Berkeley to pursue a degree in the mechanical engineering department. It wasn’t long before his passion shifted toward computer science, and he began to dive back into programming, digging up the skills he first learned when he was a teenager. His two internships before entering the workforce helped him hone in on his programming skills and learn how to apply them in real-world situations. First, he spent the summer at AXA Global Parametrics, now known as Descartes Underwriting. There, he used AI models to predict weather patterns and help insurance companies create quotes in their respective industries. After AXA Global Parametrics, Remi spent 6 months at the Boston Consulting Group in Paris, assisting with various industrial projects. Though his curiosity got him far professionally, Remi accredits much of his success to his mentors along the way. Even after he joined Plato, the mentors he found within the organization were critical to not only his ability to contribute but at the time, the startup’s own potential to take off. Plato’s co-founders, and sought out Remi’s skillset after a failed entrepreneurial attempt. Together, the three built Plato from the ground up, into a company valued at $100M. Quang Hoang Jean-Baptiste Coger When Remi was brought on board, his coding skills were nowhere near that of what a founding engineer’s skills should have been, but with the right help, his unending curiosity, and a deep belief in Plato itself, Remi turned the product into a powerhouse. He partnered with the notorious G. Renard to develop a neural network matching system to pair engineering mentors with the right mentees. This neural network is the backbone of Plato, but Remi’s contributions did not stop there. He was able to make Plato incredibly cost-efficient by automating many of the key functions within the platform, such as scheduling, reminders, ceremonies, and even internal hiring processes. Mastering coding while building a proprietary technology isn’t the route many developers take, but for Remi, it felt right. Looking back, Remi relied on his ability to adapt and learn new skills at multiple junctions throughout his life, but the one he’s most proud of thus far is Plato. He couldn’t have done it alone, not without mentoring and support from multiple people. The fact that he gets to give back to individuals in the tech space every day by helping them get the mentoring they need is a full-circle moment for Remi. Just a few years ago, Plato was a garage startup with less than 5 employees, but now, it’s a revolutionary mentoring tool that provides a bank of over 1,500 senior engineering mentors to engineering leaders from Spotify, WeWork, Meta, Pinterest, and everywhere in between.

Software Engineer Remi Denoyer’s Curiosity Propelled His Career at Mentoring Platform Plato

Currently, mentoring is just beginning to develop. The idea of mentoring is to provide gratuitous assistance to the mentee, therefore, on the one hand, few highly qualified specialists are ready for this. Why would anyone even need to look for a mentor? They say that the right conversation clarifies the situation better than ten hours of searching the Internet. This applies to any topic, not just Tech. The task of a mentor is to help a person solve a certain problem and share not so much knowledge as experience. Problems can be of a different nature: A mentor, as a person with extensive experience in a certain area, helps another to solve the problem in the least painful way in a reasonable time. Not all people come to Tech from a university, there are a great many self-taught people. It is difficult for such a person to start, he has no information about where to start, what to devote more time to, and where to get information. An hour of time is enough for a mentor to draw up a development plan for the mentee. It is important that the mentor already has exactly the experience that the mentee needs, he passes on his formula for success, which helps to master knowledge in the shortest possible time. I have been a programmer for more than eight years and I have mentoring experience.
I am ready to share my experience of mentoring and tell what it gave me: In one of the IT groups on the Telegram network, I saw an announcement: people who have lost their jobs outside of IT have a desire to retrain in IT. This service was looking for both mentors and students. Everything is free. I was offered 3 students, of which one student disappeared after the second conversation. Two really went according to the plan I proposed, and of them, only one found a job as a junior programmer. I had teaching experience in one of the online programming schools. And there I voluntarily accepted the role of a mentor. The students usually asked me simple questions between lessons. What did it give me if everything was free of charge? Awareness of the fact that not everything in life needs to be paid for. You grow up to a high professional level and now you can afford a little charity. I want to do something good in life to make this world a little better. Mentoring is a good way to do this if you really have something to share. To look for the job you really want, you need to be able to express yourself. Mentoring is a great way to add a few lines to your resume. This will tell about your high communication and interpersonal skills, which will impress HR. At my current job, they know about my mentoring and, I see, that it has a positive effect on my work. A good employer likes when the staff has versatile personalities and holds on to such employees more strongly, which positively affects the salary level. Mentoring expands the network of acquaintances, and the more good connections, the more chances to achieve something more. Mentors' questions are usually simple, but they make you remember something forgotten once again. It helps to keep you professional. Conclusions You see, mentoring does not give money directly. But at the same time, it gives a lot of other things, for example, the feeling that you are making the world a little better. Thanks for reading! If it helps to get a new mentor, I will be very happy. Photo by Kenny Eliason, https://unsplash.com/photos/y_6rqStQBYQ

Why Should a Programmer be a Mentor?

Lifelong education and professional development have been steadily trending in the corporate world over the past few years. According to Gallup’s recent , 65% of employees view company-provided upskilling as “very important” when deciding on a potential new job. Upskilling Study With the rapid advancement of technology, corporate learning has now gone mostly digital, relying on a wide range of e-learning and LMS platforms. I have compiled a list of useful tools, both purpose-specific and cross-functional, that can ease the task of managing the upskilling of your employees. Dabster — skill-based onboarding and mentoring is an onboarding and learning management platform which is equally beneficial for both in-house and remote employees. Unlike most corporate learning solutions, this one is skill-based rather than course-based—which means, you have a lot more flexibility in delivering knowledge to users, depending on their positions and desirable skill sets. Dabster With Dabster, you can create essential skill tracks for speedy onboarding of new employees as well as devise personal development trajectories to enhance performance. The solution also features profound mentoring tools and dashboards to design new skills, review employees’ progress, provide them with feedback and create growth plans. Miro — a collaborative workspace is a visual collaboration platform that can serve multiple purposes. Basically, the main tool here is an infinite whiteboard that can be adapted for various use cases, such as planning, brainstorming, building workflows, and more. When it comes to upskilling, Miro is perfect for designing learning tracks or outlining onboarding roadmaps. Miro Since the solution’s primary focus is on team collaboration, it can also be used for engaging employees during webinars or workshops to make sure they grasp the material well. Besides, there’s a vast template gallery where you can pick ready-made templates and tailor them to your needs. For example, here’s an onboarding for product teams. template TalentLMS — corporate learning platform is a powerful learning management solution that is easy to set up. The platform can be used for various scenarios: from onboarding new employees to compliance and product training to upskilling, etc. Moreover, TalentLMS also enables you to train external audiences, such as customers and partners. TalentLMS Apart from taking advantage of rich course-building opportunities and various content formats, platform users can get access to an extensive of ready-made courses, which makes it easier to organize the upskilling process. Numerous customizations and automations help to enhance the learning experience for each team and every employee. The platform also enables integrations with other business software and can be accessed across multiple platforms. library Guider — AI-fueled mentoring is a corporate learning solution powered by AI that enables companies to organize mentoring programs for employees—from matching, to scheduling, to monitoring progress. AI algorithms match users based on their skills, needs and propensities to make a successful mentoring relationship. The platform also provides handy tools for setting goals and tracking success. Guider Guider features video chat which is convenient for upskilling remote or hybrid teams. Besides, managers can have access to overall data to evaluate the success of mentoring and locate gaps. What’s more, the platform enables flexible customization for your current business needs and mentoring requirements. Notion — corporate data ecosystem is another popular multipurpose platform that is often used for storing a company’s expertise and sharing knowledge across teams and employees. And while it is not specifically tailored for the upskilling or mentoring processes, its functionality is flexible enough to enable small or medium teams with no extra budgets for a standalone LMS to successfully adapt it for their purposes. Notion For example, Notion can serve as an excellent tool for adapting new employees by means of checklists, learning materials and guidelines. It can also provide teams with a framework for continuous learning by making it easy to tap into the company’s tribal knowledge. Multiple templates are there to help organize your data in a meaningful way. Besides, Notion includes tools for building and managing workflows, which, too, can help invigorate your team’s upskilling process.

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