Mentorship is a Marathon

TL;DR: Mentorship is a long-term journey, not a quick fix.

There’s a common misconception that getting a mentorship can provide instant career results. Having mentored software developers informally for over a decade and formally for the last two or three years, I’ve seen many of these people seeking guidance with unrealistic expectations and impossible timelines. More on timelines than expectations. Often, they hope for quick results after just a couple of sessions. But, this way of doing things really misses the point of what mentorship is all about.

Heads-up — I’m not a professional mentor. What follows is simply my conclusion about mentoring software developers, engineers, and architects, along with some insights from this process.

Spot the Difference: Mentorship vs. Consulting

Before going into effective mentorship, we need to understand the differences between mentoring and consulting:

• Consulting is focused on solving specific problems, sometimes projects, or providing expert advice for immediate issues. It's usually short-term and handles specific issues.

• Mentorship, on the other hand, is about making a long-term commitment to help someone grow and develop, and guiding their career over time.

Troubleshooting, debugging, and fixing a bug requires consultancy, not mentorship.

Effective Mentorship

Not about quick problem-solving

If you need a quick solution to an urgent problem, you’re looking for a consultant, not a mentor. Mentorship is about long-term growth, not quick fixes. It’s about developing skills, mindsets, and approaches that will serve you throughout your career.

For example, if you’re preparing for an interview and need help in advance, that’s more suited for a mock interview session. Sure, your mentor can help with interview prep, but that’s just one aspect of a broader mentoring process.

Similarly, troubleshooting or understanding a codebase requires consultancy (or maybe a freelancer), not mentorship.

Time is essential

The most successful mentorship relationships I’ve been part of have lasted 24-48 months. It’s rare to see meaningful results in under six months. This timeframe allows for real growth, the application of new skills, and the development of new habits.

Comprehensive Process

An effective mentorship process involves but is not limited to:

• Regular 1:1 sessions
• In-depth discussions
• Practical exercises (coding, system design)
• Mock presentations (design sessions, interviews)
• Assessments
• Ongoing feedback and adjustments

Commitment is Required

I typically recommend a 6-12 month initial period to my formal mentees. After this, we reassess their progress and decide together whether to continue for another 6-12 months.

It’s Personalized

Each person is unique. Each career is unique. Each mentorship should be tailored to an individual’s goals, strengths, and areas for improvement. What works for you may not work for someone else. I recognize this and you need to recognize this for the sake of your success.

Independent Learning

In technical fields, I often recommend books or resources for my mentees to study. This self-paced learning is crucial for deep understanding, allowing the mentee to exercise their brains on deeper topics instead of relying on shallow reads or quick videos.

As a side note, I’m a slow reader myself. It can take weeks or months to thoroughly go through a book—and that’s okay! Day by day, book by book, topic by topic, a mentee will get closer to their next level.

Proximity Can Enhance the Experience

In my experience mentoring developers within the workplace, I’ve seen tremendous success. With a paced schedule (biweekly, monthly, or bi-monthly), I can sometimes observe daily progress. This proximity allows frequent interactions and immediate feedback. I recommend people who want to become mentors start mentoring junior workmates first.

Remote Mentoring Has Its Challenges

Mentoring across different countries or continents presents its own challenges. Without structured exercises and regular check-ins, it’s harder to assess progress. This requires extra effort in planning and communication from both mentor and mentee. We can expect even longer mentoring periods here.

It Can Last a Lifetime

Some of my most pleasant and successful mentorship experiences have spanned a decade or more. I have mentees (now I call them friends) who started with me 10 years ago, and we’re still in regular contact through sessions and chats even though they live far from me. It’s incredibly fulfilling to witness their progress and achievements in professional and personal life over such a long period.

The Marathon

Remember, professional growth is a long-distance race, not a sprint. If you’re searching for mentorship, you need to be prepared to invest your time and effort not just in sessions, but in your learning between the 1:1 sessions.

Professional growth is a long-distance race, not a sprint.

The metaphor of a marathon fits mentorship well. Like a marathon runner, a mentee must be ready for the long journey. Progress may feel slow at times, but consistent effort over time leads to significant growth. The mentor cannot run for you but he/she can support you. The mentor, like a running coach, provides guidance and support, but the hard work of learning and growth is on you.

Just as a marathon runner doesn’t become a champion in two sessions of training, software developers don’t transform their careers in a couple of mentoring sessions. Again, it requires persistence, dedication, and guidance.

One More Metaphor

"No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant." - Warren Buffett

Although Buffett is the author of this phrase, it may have been inspired by a classic Software Project Management book called The Mythical Man Month (originally published in 1975, and still worth reading).

Here’s the original:

"The bearing of a child takes nine months, no matter how many women are assigned." (The Mythical Man Month, p. 17)

The point is, some tasks are, as the author would say, “sequentially constrained.” They require a certain amount of time, no matter how many people work on them. This is especially true for career development. You can accelerate it by finding a mentor and breaking inertia, but your career takes time to mature and see results.

Hey! If you liked this read and want to embark on the marathon of growing your career in software development, you can learn more about my mentorship approach and get started by visiting my MentorCruise profile or by sending me a connection request here on LinkedIn.