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Ask HN: How important is it to have a mentor?

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Re: Ask HN: How important is it to have a mentor?

#11
post #5

Code reviews by more senior peers is mentorship if they do them properly. You don't need more mentorship than that unless you want to go for management.

There is a lot to mentor a junior on other than technical aspects of the job, like communication, behavior and how to be strategic with learning new technology to avoid a burnout while still having marketable skills/relevant.

Re: Ask HN: How important is it to have a mentor?

#12
I think having a mentor is essential. But a senior/lead/manager engineers ends up being sort of a mentor

I would say it is like visiting a new city, you can spend hours researching the best landmarks, attractions, events, night life, read online reviews, etc... But will probably not be better than just going with a local guide or friend. Guides offer immediate insight, right answers to the wrong questions, might share local stories/curiosities on subject. Take you to the best places, actually local and interesting, instead of the same old touristy attraction traps. Curate the visit for the time, and interests, you have. Adapt the journey to unexpected events... You might make friends, most time better than being the lone warrior on the road to nowhere

They'll help you better guide your career. Avoid workplace traps.

Young/new people tend to focus to much on showing off. Wasting endless time fixing every small or tangent problem because they can. But with the insight of the bigger picture it is easier to focus and produce relevant work that moves the company, career, and knowledge forward

Re: Ask HN: How important is it to have a mentor?

#13
Having a mentor is a shortcut: it can save you a lot of trial and error learning. It also shortens the learning feedback loop.

As my dad used tosay: the stupid don't learn from their mistakes, the smart learn from their mistakes,and the wise learn from other people's mistakes.

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