by bndr on 7/14/23, 8:19 PM with 39 comments
by kodah on 7/16/23, 3:04 AM
One thing that I think I may deviate with on this article is that mentoring shouldn't be started after coding; you should really be mentoring all along the way in your career. If the first time that you mentor is when you hold the title "Senior" then you're bound to screw up in some major ways and those screw ups will be amplified because of your perceived power and position. If you're a senior and haven't mentored up until this point I'd spend a good while mentoring people of your own level before you take on juniors.
Another piece of unsolicited advice is to drop any kind of perceptively fake facades; people will very much pick up on if you're git clone --depth=1 around them. Use that time to really invest in and get to know someone, and as the article points out, let them get to know you.
My last piece of advice is be there with them through their trials, especially in the lows. I once had a Marine that was going to get the equivalent of a PIP for behavior and none of the other NCOs wanted to go to our equivalent of HR with him because they knew they'd be dressed down by a man whose very existence was validated by dressing seniors down for their reports behavior. Of course, if a senior wasn't present he'd happily give that tongue-lashing to the junior. Without missing a beat I said I'd go. The worst place you can leave someone on their dark days is alone.
by hamdouni on 7/16/23, 10:14 AM
Drop the "but" and you'll engage even more with your mentee.
It's like saying that considering performance is a natural thing to do after writing a correct code, instead of the opposition that the word 'but' introduces.
Dropping the 'but' is a powerful skill !
by vvanders on 7/16/23, 3:09 AM
> So why should you, as a seasoned software developer, become a mentor?
Early in my career I got some very good advice and mentorship from a number of people that I respect who didn't have to do it but did so anyway. I pay that forward wherever I can and I only ask that others do the same.
We're better as an industry if we support and lift up our fellow developers across the board. There's a number of things that I've seen people struggle with over the years(imposter syndrome, first time breaking prod, difficult organizational issues, etc) and being able to give them the tools to better approach those things is really rewarding. If you approach it authentically with care and a positive intent you can have a real impact that lasts across someone's career and technical journey.
by ramesh31 on 7/16/23, 2:24 AM
by voz_ on 7/16/23, 7:03 AM
It lowers the quality of the overall submission significantly. Shame on the OP.
Edit: I saw the OP is the author.
I think a little less of the piece now, sadly, as it’s pretty good.
by IG_Semmelweiss on 7/16/23, 1:31 PM
I do what i can (taking them to see FRC, enroll in clubs, etc) but short of leveling up and going from Scratch App, to giving them carte blanche on minecraft mod scripts (we dont even allow computer games at home yet), I dont know what to do .
My friends are too busy with life and early children. Id love to find retirees or students with time , skills and experience, but I dont know where to start. Any advice?
by stcroixx on 7/16/23, 2:16 PM
by catsarebetter on 7/16/23, 10:22 AM
This does a good breakdown on how to grow based on your mentees growth. One thing I would add is that the relationships can naturally fizzle out faster than co worker or other professional relationships. I'm not sure why but I've got quite a bit of anectodal experience that supports this.
by svilen_dobrev on 7/16/23, 7:44 PM
it's not easy to find mentees. Not pupils, students, or just listeners.
proper ones. Those who will devote some of their time/selves into the mentoring. Be it everyday or once in a while. Those actively interested in being mentored (not taught, lectured, tick-that-course'd, etc)..
And when there is someone like that, noone pays for that. So it gets even more difficult.
Somehow this mentoring thing has always been taken for given, granted, an "expectation" of being experienced/older/.., and that it happens automagicaly. Well no, does not. Needs very conscious and persistent attention from both sides. Hence Active support - if it's not purely personal.
have fun
by csk111165 on 7/16/23, 9:35 AM
by system2 on 7/16/23, 7:27 AM
by hknmtt on 7/16/23, 6:38 AM