Mentoring: Pay It Forward

I have been working for the tech industry for less than a year at the time of writing this post. To say that I am a junior developer is not an understatement. However, just because I do not have much professional experience, does not mean I cannot be a mentor. Let's face it, no one gets into to the tech industry alone. We all need a little help sometimes. That's what friends are for. Excuse me, I mean that is why we need mentors.

Any of us in the tech industry can also be a mentor. After all, we have all been helped by someone. None of us got our first tech job by ourselves. Remember that when someone reaches out to you for advice. I will cite a few examples of mentorship duties that I have performed to illustrate how easy it is to be a mentor.

The most important is to be present. Availability is key. Believe it or not, if you have an online presence, someone will reach out for help, even somebody like me. As an alumnus of a bootcamp, college, or any other educational institution, someone from that same bootcamp will seek your advice.

Now that my presence is evident, let's talk about some small things I did to mentor. One of the most common questions that I get is "How did you land your current role?" At this point I tell them about my bootcamp experience and the importance of networking. I also discuss my online presence including LinkedIn, portfolio website, GitHub profile, and my online blog with Dev.to. Interview tips are also shared. Sometimes I talk about how I got into the tech industry and end up launching my elevator pitch. Of course, I discuss my projects and the technologies used.

I reviewed a resume that someone sent via LinkedIn. It was a good start but there was room for improvement. Notes were made on the changes needed and sent as a file. Branding and the importance of a tech identity was also discussed.

Sometimes I share my experiences as a junior developer. One thing that I have learned is that there is no such thing as a simple bug fix. There are so many factors that have to be considered.

As you can see, it is never too early to be a mentor to a colleague who is interested in joining the tech industry or who may already be part of the tech industry. We all needed some form of coaching at some point in our careers. Remember to be a mentor and pay it forward. Thank you.