{"id":14709,"date":"2022-12-23T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/?p=14709"},"modified":"2023-08-08T22:11:25","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T05:11:25","slug":"software-engineer-mentor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/software-engineering\/software-engineer-mentor\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Grow Your Career With a Software Engineering Mentor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When it comes to career advice and training, blogs and YouTube videos can only get you so far. If you\u2019re in the early stages of your software engineering career, it won\u2019t be long before you hit a problem that requires a real, personal, human response\u2014but in those situations, who do you turn to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A software engineering mentor can fill this role, and provide less experienced developers with advice and insight that has taken many years to cultivate. To help you learn more, we\u2019ve put together a detailed guide on mentorships, where to find them, and how to ensure you have a rewarding experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Advantages of Having a Software Engineering Mentor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mentors provide guidance and support as you navigate the early stage of your career, and help you avoid common pitfalls and mistakes. They can help you develop your skills and meta-knowledge of the industry, as well as introduce you to new people to help build your network and lay a foundation for future opportunities. Essentially, having a software engineering<\/a> mentor gives you access to information gained only through expertise and experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can You Find a Software Engineering Mentor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When searching for a mentor, keep in mind that not every mentorship is formal and official. While some people may be officially assigned a formal mentor at their workplace, others might meet a senior developer online who fills the role but never explicitly agrees to mentor them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both types of mentorship are completely acceptable and equally beneficial, so you don\u2019t need to stress too much over titles and formalities. Here\u2019s a list of potential places you could find a mentor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workplace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you already have an entry-level software engineering job<\/a>, the first place you should look is within your own company. Many tech companies have official mentoring programs that pair senior engineer mentors with more juniors engineers, so ask around and find out what your company offers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there isn\u2019t an official mentorship program, don\u2019t be disheartened. Mentorship is a respected and valued part of training new engineers, and most of your experienced colleagues will have benefitted from it themselves when they were juniors. This means that lots of people will be open to the prospect of being a mentor themselves or helping you find someone suitable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bootcamps With Mentorship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, if you\u2019re just starting out as an engineer and want to benefit from mentorship during your education and training, enrolling in a bootcamp with 1:1 mentorship could be perfect for you. With Springboard\u2019s Software Engineering Career Track<\/a>, you\u2019ll be assigned a personal mentor to have 1:1 calls with throughout the duration of your course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an industry expert and experienced engineer, your mentor will be able to help you with technical questions and provide insight into the day-to-day life of a software engineer<\/a>. Working with a professional this early in your training can create a great student experience and provide you with a competitive edge as you search for your first job after graduation<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utilize Your Network<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another way to find potential mentor candidates is to consider the people you\u2019re already acquainted with. If you\u2019ve already spent some time being active in the industry, you\u2019ll have met plenty of people that might be able to help you out. Here are some good ways to connect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LinkedIn<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Using LinkedIn to reach out to engineers that you respect is a great way to start a lasting mentor relationship. When approaching someone, think about their strengths and the work they do that you\u2019re interested in, so you can pose questions and be specific about what you\u2019d like to learn from them. This is more likely to earn a favorable response than starting by asking someone, \u201cWill you be my mentor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online Communities<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

From Slack and Discord servers to subreddits and forums, there are endless online communities to participate in as a software engineer. These communities are populated with everyone from amateur enthusiasts to the most senior of seniors, and they\u2019re all there because they enjoy sharing and discussing their work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes online communities a great place to find informal mentoring, and even if the relationship remains completely online, you can still reap all of the same benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industry Conferences<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Attending conferences is a great way to meet active and passionate members of the engineering community, and the kind of people who make the best mentors. In-person events are better for networking than their online counterparts, but it\u2019s best to attend everything you can for the best chances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hackathons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hackathons can also take place both online and on-site, but in this case, either works well. These events are about working with other participants to work on a new idea in a short space of time, so both online and in-person versions involve collaboration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can develop lasting relationships with the people you work with, and hopefully, find a senior engineer that can provide you with informal mentorship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dedicated Mentorship Websites and Opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also possible to choose a mentor from a pool of people who have already signed up for the job. People who want to share their skills and experience can sign up for the following programs and get assigned to mentees all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MentorCruise<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"MentorCruise,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MentorCruise is essentially like an online tutoring agency but for mentors. Experienced professionals sign up, create a profile, and set a price for their services. As a mentee, you can search through the site to find potential mentors in your field and with specializations you\u2019re interested in, and pay the fee to begin your mentorship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet-a-Mentor<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Meet-a-Mentor,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are also free mentoring sites available like Meet-a-Mentor, where mentees and mentors are matched together and introduced through Slack. The site only focuses on introducing people to each other, so it\u2019s up to you to make the introduction count and turn it into a lasting correspondence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women in Tech\u00ae<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"software<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is a paid formal mentorship program aimed specifically at women in the tech industry and consists of a three-month mentorship with an experienced mentor in your field. It covers multiple areas of expertise, including career and leadership skills, software development, digital marketing, project and product management, business analytics, and UX\/UI design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professional Associations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Joining a professional association can have various benefits for your career, but it\u2019s also a great place to meet other engineers. Many associations have online communities for their members and offline networking events that allow people to meet and connect with others in their field of work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold Outreach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This tactic can require more luck than others, but it is also possible to reach out to people you\u2019re not already acquainted with. You might read a blog by an experienced engineer, or follow someone talented on social media, or even have a favorite author or well-known figure within the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By sending them an email or message over social media, there\u2019s a chance that they\u2019ll answer your questions and help you out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Skills Can a Software Engineering Mentor Help You Hone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"software<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The short answer is: all of them. From coding skills<\/a> to career-building skills, the experience mentors share can help you in just about any area. Let\u2019s break down what that looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical Skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a software engineer, your skills and knowledge will continue to grow as you contribute to more projects. A successful technical mentorship will point a junior in the right direction as they learn what kind of skills and areas to prioritize. What juniors assume is important and what seniors believe is important can be two very different things, so an experienced opinion can be very beneficial. <\/p>\n\n\n

Get To Know Other\tSoftware Engineering Students<\/h4>
\"Elena<\/a>

Elena Nurullina<\/p>

Junior Web Developer at G\/O Media<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Oscar<\/a>

Oscar Herrera<\/p>

Student In The Software Engineering Bootcamp at Springboard<\/p><\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Moshood<\/a>

Moshood Adeyemo<\/p>

Software Engineer at LinkedIn<\/p><\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Soft Skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Soft skills<\/a> include interpersonal relationships, communication, self-development, and leadership skills. A mentor can help teach you what kinds of connections to build, how to present and sell yourself, and what kinds of opportunities to take in order to grow your career path and be a part of projects you\u2019re passionate about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips To Make the Most of Your Software Engineering Mentorship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Tips<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A mentorship isn\u2019t guaranteed to be successful, and you won\u2019t be able to reap the benefits without putting in the effort. Here are some things to think about to make sure you get the best out of your mentorship:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decide on a Goal at the Start of the Mentorship Journey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mentorships don\u2019t have to be a career-long relationship, in fact, many are fixed-term arrangements that benefit from having a concrete goal to work towards. This could be completing a project, developing a specific skill, or learning about a new area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Shy Away From Asking Questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asking questions is a big part of having a mentor. That being said, not all questions are a good use of your mentor\u2019s time. For technical subjects, don\u2019t decide to ask about something before you\u2019ve researched it or tried to come up with an answer on your own. Even with non-technical questions, put some thought into the topic first so you can ask a clear and insightful question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re having a meeting over a call or in person, make sure to take notes where relevant. This will help you learn from the higher level topics you discuss, and avoid asking your mentor to repeat themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Request Your Mentor To Review Your Projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re interested in developing your technical skill set, having your mentor do a code review of a project is one of the best ways to get an honest opinion of your work. Your mentor will be able to learn a lot about your level and your coding style by looking at how you approach a project, design systems, and deal with problems. This works best when the project reflects your true level, rather than following a tutorial or getting help from somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Vulnerable and Share Your Struggles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most hurdles and struggles you might be facing as a junior developer will be common to the field and experienced by many other engineers as well. By sharing your thoughts on this topic, you might find your mentor has some useful advice, insights, or even personal experience on the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s not to say, however, that you should spend your time complaining. If you voice a concern and your mentor offers a potential solution to try, it\u2019s best to give it a go and get back to them later, rather than express doubt or explain why you think it won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Show Initiative and Be Receptive to Feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Showing initiative is essential during a mentorship. Your mentor may be the more experienced engineer, but that doesn\u2019t mean they should be the one arranging meetings, suggesting topics, and leading the conversations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also important to be open to feedback. This means accepting criticism and working on it, rather than rejecting your mentor\u2019s opinion or becoming defensive. Whatever advice or tips for improvement they might give, it\u2019s always better to try them out before making a judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respect Your Mentor and Their Expertise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just because someone is a mentor doesn\u2019t mean they are automatically correct about everything. However, as a junior, you\u2019re unlikely to understand every piece of advice your mentor gives you. After all, if you could come to all the same conclusions and answers as they do, you wouldn\u2019t need them in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering the large gap in experience and expertise, it makes sense to accept and test your mentor\u2019s suggestions before assuming that you\u2019re right and they\u2019re wrong. This is what it means to respect your mentor and their expertise, and it will help you learn new things as well as maintain a good mentoring relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give and Take: Consider How You Can Help Your Mentor <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This doesn\u2019t mean you need to find something you know and your mentor doesn\u2019t so you can teach them, but rather, be open to requests your mentor might make. If you put effort into your mentorship, it will automatically be a beneficial experience for your mentor as well, so this is the best place to focus your efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember: It\u2019s Your Job To Make the Most of Your Mentorship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t expect all of the work to be done for you. As a mentee, you need to approach your mentor<\/a> for calls and sessions, present ideas and projects, ask for code reviews and feedback, and prepare insightful questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAQs About Software Engineering Mentorship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve got the answers to your most frequently asked questions:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

What Should I Look for When Choosing a Software Engineering Mentor?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

The best mentor is someone whose work interests you. If you\u2019re working towards a certain specialization, it\u2019s also good to choose someone who does the kind of work you want to do one day too.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Is Hiring a Software Engineering Mentor Worth It?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

Paying for a mentor can be expensive, so it depends on how much you\u2019re willing to spend. Hiring a mentor for a specific short-term goal like going over a project can be a great idea, as you can get personal feedback from a trustworthy source, and it won\u2019t cost too much.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How Much Should I Expect To Pay for a Software Engineering Mentorship?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

This depends on what kind of mentorship you\u2019re looking for. If you\u2019re still in training, you could enroll in a bootcamp to get a good deal on both education and mentorship at the same time. You can also participate in free mentorship programs that can help boost your chances of finding a long-term mentor. For hired mentors, monthly prices can vary from $60 to $400.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What Questions Should I Ask My Software Engineering Mentor?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

Ask questions that are specific to you, your career goals, and your interests. A mentor can give you detailed information derived from their own experiences, but there\u2019s no guarantee that they\u2019ll have a good answer to generalized questions about what makes a good engineer or how to get promoted.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Since you’re here…
<\/strong>Were you one of the tens of thousands of workers impacted by this year’s tech layoffs? Springboard wants to help. Our new Career Reboot Scholarship is intended to assist job seekers from tech looking to upskill, reskill and stand out in a competitive hiring environment. Get $1,000 off any Springboard bootcamp in software engineering, data analytics, UX design, cybersecurity, tech sales, and more.\u00a0Visit this page<\/a>\u00a0for eligibility requirements and to apply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to career advice and training, blogs and YouTube videos can only get you so far. If you\u2019re in the early stages of your software engineering career, it won\u2019t be long before you hit a problem that requires a real, personal, human response\u2014but in those situations, who do you turn to? A software […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":40131,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","_eb_data_table":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[137],"tags":[],"marketing_tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-14709","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-software-engineering"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14709"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14709"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48980,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14709\/revisions\/48980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14709"},{"taxonomy":"marketing_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/marketing_tags?post=14709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}