The Power of Mentors and Mentees - DevOpsDays DC 2019

Abstract: Developing an internship/apprentice program is hard. But we can't hire senior engineers forever. At some point that pool will run out and if no junior folks are hired into the workforce, there will be no one left. To hire interns, apprentices, and "junior" engineers, companies must establish stable mentoring and growth paths for engineers to progress.

Just because someone volunteers to be a mentor does not mean they are an effective one. Just like any other skill, mentoring is a skill that must be learned, tested through experience, and tweaked. This talk will give some strategies on how to become a good mentor, having a successful mentor-mentee relationship, and embracing the advantage of hiring new, up and coming engineers into your team.

Transcript

1. The Power of Mentors and Mentees Alvin Huang Release Engineer at HashiCorp @RealAlvinHuang
3. Imposter Syndrome
4. Empathy and Inclusion
5. 10 Best Places for Working Women Source: MagnifyMoney
6. Bridge The Gap - Engineering Ladder “Junior” Engineer Solicits feedback from others…. “Senior” Engineer Mentors junior engineers via pairing, code review...
7. What is mentorship?
9. How to be a great mentor
10. Be Open and Available
11. Establish Check-ins
12. Empathetic and Respectful Code Review Source: Vox Media
13. How to be a great mentee
14. Ask Questions
15. Share Your Needs and Provide Feedback
16. Be Hungry and Committed
17. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin
18. Embrace The Advantage 1. Curiosity 2. Long-term investment 3. Innovation 4. Mundane tasks are exciting
19. But Where? 1. Internships/Fellowships 2. Co-ops 3. Bootcamps 4. Meetups “If you look for the same thing in the same place, you will get the same result.” - Alvin Huang, 2019
20. Challenge