The word "mentor" has been used more recently because of the knowledge era. Despite this, I will not assume everyone knows who a mentor is and the value of having a mentor. The need for a mentor is non-negotiable in your transition to tech. Let's help you learn it and crack it.
Do You Know Who a Mentor Is?
A mentor is an individual who has gone ahead of you in what you are looking to achieve and is willing to provide support, advice, and guidance to you till you get to your desired destination. Your mentor must:
Have gone ahead of you on the path you now want to tread.
Be willing to provide support, advice, and guidance.
Those two things are crucial to guide you in choosing a mentor. A mentor in your tech transition is a person who has gone on the path you want to go and has accepted to guide and support you to get there.
Do I Need a Mentor?
Have you ever heard the saying, "If you want to go fast, go alone, but go with others if you want to go far"?
This statement is very true, especially when breaking into a new field. It would be best to have someone to support, guide you, and answer your questions because you will have loads of them. Let's specifically talk about what a mentor will do for you:
1. A mentor will provide tailored guidance for you on your tech transition journey
One of the things that can significantly benefit you is knowing what course to take, what book to read, and what approach to take to get to your desired destination.
2. A mentor will answer the questions you can't foresee that you will have yet.
I know you can align with this because when you think you have learned a lot, you discover some things you don't know. When you are unsure of a decision, your mentor is the go-to person. A course might not be able to answer specific questions, but a mentor can. You will have many questions on your journey to transition into tech. To avoid unnecessary and unsatisfactory answers, get a mentor.
3. A mentor will provide advice and counsel that will save you the trial and error of learning all by yourself.
Trial and error can be helpful in rare cases, but at the start of your career transition journey into tech, don't do trial and error. It will waste your time and can also drain your energy. Get advice from a mentor than trying all by yourself.
A mentor can advise you on when a goal is not achievable and not worth pursuing. I don't think you will enjoy finding that after chasing a goal for six months, you saw that it was not worth it.
4. A mentor can also give you the privilege of accountability.
Accountability helps you go through the journey by submitting to somebody (sometimes your mentor) on your commitment to your goal, keeping them updated on the progress per time, and taking to their counsel.
5. A mentor can open you up to a network of opportunities and people.
As a result of a mentor's expertise and wealth of experience, they know people and opportunities in the field that you may not know yet. They can recommend you for an opportunity that can be a game-changer in your career.
6. A mentor can help boost your confidence on the journey.
You can suffer from imposter syndrome of your developed skills and abilities. As a newbie, you can think that you are not eligible for some opportunities, but a mentor can be objective and honest with you as to your abilities even when you are in doubt.
What Do I Do When I Have Been Trying Hard To Get A Mentor But Nobody Responds To Me?
I can identify with this. One thing that can help you crack this is for you not to look for people who are highly sought after. These are people who have 7+ years of industry experience in international companies. While this is not impossible, it might not be easy; just like you, several people are also reaching out to them. Try to look out for people with 2-3 years of industry experience. They are more available and willing to mentor you.
How To Manage Your Tech Mentorship Relationship
There are a lot of misconceptions about mentoring that deter people from making the most of the mentorship relationship:
Your mentor is not equal to your pal.
Some people say my mentor does not laugh with me or call me on my birthday or call to check on me. It's essential to stay focused on the purpose of mentoring rather than the additional benefit of friendship. If your mentor does not call you on your birthday, you don't have to be angry because the foundation of the relationship is mentoring, not friendship.
My mentor does not follow up with me.
Your responsibility is to stay accountable to your mentor for the agreed meeting times or engagement. Your mentor can choose to follow up with you if they decide to but don't get offended when they don't.
I can decide not to heed my mentor's advice.
Don't bother starting the mentoring relationship if you know you won't follow the mentor's guidance because it will end in no time. No mentor will keep channeling advice to a person who does not put in the work to get the required results.
Mentoring is social work; I am being mentored for free, so I don't have to give anything.
This common idea is not correct! Anything free has been paid for by someone else. We hear of scholarships not because it is not cost-intensive to train people but because some individuals have paid for it. Your mentor takes their time, effort, data, and other resources to add value to you. It is pertinent to repay the favour within your ability. Everyone has a latent desire to be appreciated. Appreciate your mentor!
It's not so hard to get a mentor, just be a bit patient, be sure of what you want from the mentor, try to look for individuals with 2-3 years experience if you are a beginner.
Action Points
- Look out for 3 to 4 people on LinkedIn that have gone ahead of you (don't go for the big guns, go for people who are doing well but not very popular such that a lot of people are also reaching out to them).
- Do a background research about these people so you know a little bit about them and you won't be asking them questions you can get answers to via a little research.
- Establish the connecting point: what do they need that you can offer.
- Reach out to 2 out of the 4 (the best fit).
Does this help? Let us know in the comment section.
We want to see you transition smoothly.
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