The pattern Find Mentors in Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman[AP] by Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye discussed one of the key tools any apprentice needs to succeed: a mentor. How is one supposed to become a master at their craft if they have no one to model themselves after and no one to turn to for advice? With no mentor there would be no way to go from an apprentice to a master.
In my opinion, finding a mentor is perhaps one of the most important if not the most important thing an apprentice needs in order to succeed. I speak from personal experience when I say this. When I first started my internship some two years ago one of the senior engineers took me under his wing. Now, I was lucky enough that he took the initiative to show to show me the ropes. The amount of knowledge I have gained from working with him is priceless. I am happy to say we still work closely together to this day. It helps that we have a lot of the same likes and interests too. It makes it easier to have a causal conversation and pick his brain a bit because we have so much on common.
Now that I’ve told you my little story, I wanted to mention that the pattern brings up several valid points. First, it is hard to find masters in the field of software development because the field is so new [AP]. Often times you’ll find yourself taking on multiple people experienced in different areas as your mentors [AP]. I certainly have done this. Another thing to note is it may be challenging to get someone to take you under their wing [AP]. Most people with the level of expertise you are looking for are very busy. They may not want to and/or have the time to show you everything [AP]. That being said, the pattern discussed how you must be a bit bold when trying to find a mentor [AP]. This is something I agree with. The last important point the pattern brings up is that you should return the favor [AP]. If you get to the point where you feel you know enough to pass knowledge on to someone else, even if you aren’t a master, you should take the time to do so [AP]. Remember how appreciative you were when someone shared some insight with you. The person asking for your help will probably be just as appreciative.
Link to pattern: https://www.safaribooksonline.com/library/view/apprenticeship-patterns/9780596806842/ch04s02.html
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