Do you have a mentor?

So I just kind of wanted to gauge everybody's idea on this and see where people draw their mentorships from whether it be on a peer-to-peer working relationship or elsewhere.

Some background:
I recently started a new job (just 4 months ago) and am quickly finding out I am the best suited / minded network guy at the company (which I find a bit scary because I feel like I have A LOT of learning to do still in my career). So, it was not exactly what I was expecting coming in, although unfortunately, it's hard to distinguish how strong the team is coming in/through the interview process. There may be a few things now based on my experience I can look out for future opportunities to better gauge the complexity of the team knowledge/environment (honestly the interview was a breeze). However, they were willing to pay me VERY competitively and I saw the opportunity as a great building experience for my career so I went for it.

My previous background is big network / big company and very siloed operations. I wanted to get away from that to go off and learn the world of smaller time/broader networking is all about. This in return landed me with my current company. I really can't complain though as the environment is much more wide open for me to do things at my leisure (suggest making network changes/upgrade and doing them, adding new tools, having valued input, leisure work environment, great pay, etc). I also get exposure to items I never was able to touch on from my previous job (CUCM, Firewall / Sec Ops, Wireless on a deep level (basically all of the above)).
The network in its self is not very high tech or complex either so I am already very familiar and have it well learned at this point.

So... My only real beef is I don't really have a mentor of "superior knowledge" that I have been accustomed to having basically my entire networking career (previous to this job). I can also see where this may not necessarily be a bad thing either. I can be that mentor for others that come along and really be the face of the network as it is. However, this obviously will require me to lead instead of follow... again something I have not been accustomed to doing in terms of learning. I guess I always thought I would get to this point in my career but just hadn't expected it to happen quite so early.

So, for now, I think instead of feeling a bit distraught about not having an immediate mentor to work with day-to-day. I need to start looking elsewhere for that and really ensure I am always investing in myself. As I type this out I realize maybe this is a great thing after all.

I am still curious where others similar to my position draw their mentorships from? Please share!

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Comments

Phalanx

You could always disassociate your mentor from work. I keep in touch with friends and people far more knowledgeable than I via skype and Steam. I talk to them during work, and they use me for stuff I cover that they don't. That way you don't worry if moving jobs is going to cause a loss of mentorship, etc.

Priston

The first couple of years working in IT I had a really awesome mentor. Now I don't really have anyone I can collaborate with when it comes to the more advanced networking projects.

When I do look for a new job though, having people to collaborate with is one of the things I'm going to look for.

Danielh22185

@=Phalanx;

Yes, I believe like I mentioned there comes a point in one's career where mentorships are gathered from like-minded people in different placements of the industry and not so much a direct 1:1 peer mentorship anymore. I am just starting to come to the realization of that now as it was so easy in my previous jobs to mentor with several direct peers.

@=Priston

I totally understand! I think if we look at this as purely a good thing it will challenge us as individuals to be even better. I've never been one to try and just pull the easy yes/no answer from a mentor but sometimes it did happen that way. Now I am in a position which forces me understand things deeper and not have that same crutch I have been used to. Time to grow up and be a big boy network engineer now!

Clifton125

@=Phalanx;
Thanks for your advice.

labscloud

Funny you posted this, I just asked someone if they would be willing to offer me some mentorship in the form of eating lunch once or twice a month, he said of course. The thing is though, he's not in IT, but he is the president of the largest rural Health system in the U.S. so I'm mainly looking for career direction/general career advice. I just figured he would be a great person to bounce ideas off of, if he would be cool with it and he agreed. We are going to meet next week and I'm stoked. I would like to find a Network Engineer with 15+ yrs of experience, I think that will come with time though.

hurricane1091

@=Danielh22185

This is me at my new job. Have been here 4 months, am the network guy, and had only 24 months of real-world networking experience before. Had great mentorship at my last job, but now I am the mentor. I don't have time to learn the ins and outs of everything, that's my only complaint. Too much to do, it just has to work.

NetworkNewb

For those with a mentor, or who have had one before, did you just approach a person and ask them? As kind of an introvert I feel like it would be awkward question to ask... I've never had one but can definitely see how it would be extremely helpful.

Danielh22185

@=labscloud
That's great! I think a mentor comes in many different facets, not just on the technical level. I ping a lot of stuff off my Dad when it comes to non-technical related items just in general to the workplace, etc. He is a a Director of Tax for his company and is a few steps down from CEO. He's been in the corporate world all his life. So I talk to him a lot about work situations not specific to technical things, etc.

I also try to keep an open mind with all individuals I encounter. I try to understand where they come from and what they do day-to-day and build a relationship. You never know when you/they may need something and can call upon that relationship to help each other out.

Phalanx

NetworkNewb wrote: »

For those with a mentor, or who have had one before, did you just approach a person and ask them? As kind of an introvert I feel like it would be awkward question to ask... I've never had one but can definitely see how it would be extremely helpful.

Mine kind of happened organically. I became friends with them at work, they mentored me without really realising, then I returned the favour on those who did the same to me. I wouldn't ask, as I'd expect most people to skills-share within a business, otherwise they're doing it wrong. Then I just kept in touch after leaving.

Danielh22185

@=NetworkNewb

Good question. In my previous mentorships, I've generally just asked for help but showed initiative and my own due diligence to understand a concept before asking for help. Most cases if they are to be the 'Mentor Type' they will respond to you openly and willingly. This opens the door to that relationship that you can start learning and gleaning from more and more or even start teaching them a thing or two.

I feel this is how I rapidly progressed in my last job. I was always seeking more of these types of relationships and building my career. I was moving up a position every 8-12 months until I basically hit the top.

DatabaseHead

Currently no

I had a few in the past that helped me out tremendously.

Like others have mentioned it either happens organically or it doesn't at all.........

Danielh22185

Phalanx wrote: »

Then I just kept in touch after leaving.

Good point too! I need to make sure I maintain the ones I left behind at the last job.

volfkhat

@=Phalanx;

Yep, Nailed it.

in fact, I once had a mentor who was "below" me.
At a job i just started, i met a guy who was pretty much the MOST knowledgeable guy on the floor, but he was stuck at level 2.
I was hired in as level 3; honestly, they should have Promoted my coworker.

I quickly realized he had "it'.
His drive to get certifications, Pushed me to Get certifications.
Really cool guy, who was always willing to teach.

One day, his washing machine died, and he didnt have the $$ to get it fixed.
I was a bachelor; a dead washingmachne wasn't a big deal for me.
But this guy had a wife & kids who needed clean clothes for school, etc.

I ended up giving the guy $500-$600 to go buy a new one.
He reluctantly took it; but promised to repay me.
I shut him Down; told him that "i" was repaying "him" for all the things he taught me.

He & family moved out of state last year, bought a nice house, and making nice $$$ nowadays (more than me).
We still keep in touch :]

DatabaseHead

@=volfkhat;

That's not a mentor that's a consultant. You paid him monies!

ITSpectre

Im bad....

All I keep in touch with from my last jobs are women

gespenstern

Never had one for my entire career (besides the Internet). Not sure if I lost anything this way.

NetworkNewb

Guess we'll never know

Cisco Inferno

This website is my mentor.

EANx

I've had a couple and still keep in touch with one. He reached where I want to be but I don't want to stop there. IMO, a good mentor is someone who can help you where you feel your weak points are. In my case, this guy was a senior executive while I was still trying to get into management and as I've moved on and up he's been available to bounce ideas off of and to call me out when he thinks I'm making a mistake.

If a mentor can't or won't point out errors, they aren't much of a mentor.

UnixGuy

This Forum has been my mentor for the past 10 years!!

DatabaseHead

They can give you a fake sense of security, when you finally are let go you have relied on them to baby bird everything to you and now you are helpless. They're PROS and CONS to mentors.

ITSpectre

This forum is my mentor.... Just to list some people that have helped me

Jollyfrogs
Iris
JDMurray
Scaredoftests
Unixguy
databasehead
networknewb
cyberguypr
kiki
and many others.

You all are awesome

matai

My company has a mentorship program where they match you up to a mentor. It's ok, I do it more because it looks good to senior leadership.

cyberguypr

I wouldn't trust any of those guys listed, but sure! LOL.

I recently started working with a mentor and it's been a great experience. I am lucky enough to have a formal leadership development program at my company so the process has been fairly easy. My resource is in an IT capacity in another line of business and is a senior leader with long tenure so his expertise is extremely valuable to me.

redsteel

I have no one. When I started I was at an MSP and knew nothing. We had a guy there, I learned a lot from though he kind of hated investing in me. Now, I am the lone IT guy which is why I started to look to the web for a place like this. I crave learning new stuff so I'm hoping to get it here if I can't get it from work.

DatabaseHead

cyberguypr wrote: »

I wouldn't trust any of those guys listed, but sure! LOL.

I recently started working with a mentor and it's been a great experience. I am lucky enough to have a formal leadership development program at my company so the process has been fairly easy. My resource is in an IT capacity in another line of business and is a senior leader with long tenure so his expertise is extremely valuable to me.

The lower the aptitude the higher the need for a mentor.........

PocketLumberjack

I have a career mentor and I had a mentor for life as well (but he passed away unfortunately). Both happened very organically. Earlier this year I arranged a meeting with the Manager of the SOC for some guidance and that was the most awkward 30 minutes of my life and I don't know that I would ever reach out to someone like that again.