Liveblog of the Professional IT Community Conference session Mentoring: It’s for everyone
Ways to learn:
Audio
Visual
Kinetic (doing it)
Everyone learns differently, but most people learn with some combination of all these three.
However, you can also learn by training [that’s the truth, I learned a LOT by writing the book, even things I knew, I ended up needing to research more].
Ways to train:
Explanation
Observation
Demonstration
Questioning (Socratic Method)
What is a mentor?
noun: experienced and trusted adviser. It’s not just someone who teaches, it’s someone who advises.
experienced person in a company, college or schools who trains and counsels new employees or students.
verb: to advise or train (someone, esp. a younger colleague).
A mentorship is a safe place to ask questions.
A mentor is a trainer, but a trainer who also is a professional advisor.
Finding a mentor
Someone…..
– you respect/admire
– works with similar technology
– has a compatible personality
– you have a good rapport with
Being a mentor
– Teach technical skills
– Provide advanced technical/design guidance
– Model and teach professional skills
– Be interested and invested in the [student’s] career