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How to train the next generation of Masters One of the best ways to move yourself forward as a developer is to have mentors who can help improve your skills, or to be a mentor for a newer developer. Mentoring isn’t limited to just ‘hard’ or technical skills, and a mentoring relationships can help in all aspects of any career – be it open source, a day job, or something else entirely. Learn some skills and tips from people who make mentoring an important aspect of their lives. From how to choose a mentor and what you should expect from a relationship as a padawan, to how to deal with the trials and successes of the person you are mentoring as they grow in their career. Also learn about setting up mentorship organizations, from the kind inside a company to one purely for the good of a community.
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Mentoring Developers
Take someone with raw potential…
And turn them into something useful
Your definition of useful may vary
What is Mentorship?
Formal or Informal
Professional or Personal
Long or Short Term
Group or Peer
Why Mentorship?
InformationTechnology moves FAST
Role ModelingWe all need a hero
AdviceNo man(or woman..or cat) is an island.
NetworkingTo get to where you need to go, find the folks
you need to know
InteractionHumans are social animals
Why Mentor Others?
Learning
Recognition
Networking
Reciprocation
Intangibles
Personal Tales
Anecdotes stick around
Beginning Developer
1. Try to find it on your own first2. Ask questions, lots of questions, but never the
SAME questions3. Don’t be afraid to question “why?” but also be
open to the answers – show respect4. You will be pushed outside your comfort zone
What is expected of a beginning apprentice?
Intermediate Developer
1. Branch out beyond what you think you need to know into new areas
2. Have faith that the support you need will be there when you ask for it
3. Continue to reach out in new directions to new people, but keep your older contacts close as well
4. Remember that failure breeds success
What is expected of an intermediate apprentice?
Advanced Developer
1.Your mentorship relationship is more peer to peer, more give and take
2.Have respect for those who mentor you, but realize they are just people too
3.Sometimes real life gets in the way4.Never stop learning and growing5.Give back (time to get your own
apprentice)
What is expected of an advanced apprentice?
Advanced Developer
1.Support and encouragement2.Feedback loops for coding improvements3.A shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, and
less help with fixing things4.Help with those steps out of the comfort
zone
What does an advanced dev need from a mentor?
• Some day that boy is gonna get me killed
Intermediate Developer
1.Stretching of their coding boundaries2.Networking connections and introductions
to others3.Encouragement to leave the comfort zone4.Positive role model for moving ahead
What does an Intermediate dev need from a mentor?
Beginning Developer
1. Best Practices2. Positive Feedback3. Resources for their own research4. NO SPOONFEEDING
What does a beginner need from a mentor?
Apprentice to Master
They grow up too soon…
Successful Mentoring
How to get in on the good stuff
1. Personality2. Skills3. Availability4. Drive
Find a partner
1. Ongoing2. Together3. Evolving4. Specific
Decide on goals
1. Talk2. Listen3. See4. Make Time
Communicate
1. Change the goals2. Change the relationship3. Say Goodbye4. Run away screaming
Exit Strategy
People Change, Relationships too
Remember: It takes two
1.Take responsibility for career goals2.Listen and share 3.Incorporate feedback given4.Make time for interaction5.Have realistic expectations and approach
the relationship with honesty
Rules of an Apprentice
1.Trust and Respect2.Listen3.Help apprentice define and achieve goals4.Offer advice, references, resources,
CONSTRUCTIVE feedback5.Give support when apprentice succeeds,
and when they fail
Rules of a Mentor
• Mismatch in expectations• Mismatch in personality• Breaches of trust• Lack of focus
When things go wrong…
Remember: Failure is good!
Mentoring (in) Organizations
Do the Mentor thing
Be the solution
List your strengths
List your weaknesses
Set personal goals
Meet new people
Speed Date
Learn, and teach
WIN!
The Challenge
About Me
http://emsmith.net
IRC – freenode – auroraeosrose
#php-gtk #coapp and others
Questions?
http://phpmentoring.orghttp://phpwomen.org More mentorship organizations?
Resources:http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_70.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentor http://www.iop.org/careers/mentoring/benefits/page_38864.html http://www.mentorscout.com/about/mentor-benefits.cfm http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327809jls0603_2 http://www.mindflash.com/blog/2011/07/mentoring-2-0-why-gen-y-demands-a-new-approach/
