Mentoring

Hi All

When going through training or learning during the early or mid part (or even late) part of your IT careers, have any of you used mentors?

If so, where did you find them? Personal friends? Old co-workers?

Or through local IT organizations?

I know the best way of learning is through self-learning (breaking it and fixing it yourself kind of thing), but it doesn't hurt to have someone above you with way more experience to bounce ideas and thoughts off of. Basically someone in the same area as you, who knows the job market and the region where you both work.

Thoughts?

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N2IT

whatthehell wrote: »

Hi All

When going through training or learning during the early or mid part (or even late) part of your IT careers, have any of you used mentors?

If so, where did you find them? Personal friends? Old co-workers?

Or through local IT organizations?

I know the best way of learning is through self-learning (breaking it and fixing it yourself kind of thing), but it doesn't hurt to have someone above you with way more experience to bounce ideas and thoughts off of. Basically someone in the same area as you, who knows the job market and the region where you both work.

Thoughts?

My boss is my mentor right now.

demonfurbie

what kinda IT do you want to get into?

the_Grinch

My company is setup for mentoring by nature. Part of it is that every senior engineer is willing to help you with anything. Bounce ideas for a problem off of them, even have them sit and work with you on the issue. Part is the fact that we do have timesheets, but management isn't on us to account for every second. This allows people to work together and not get questioned as to why two people have time on a ticket. The last part of it is the senior engineers tend to be lazy and go with the "teach a man to fish" theory of things. Sit with me for 30 minutes, show me what to do (explaining the how and why), and then I won't bother you again. Plus if the problem reoccurs I now know what to do. I keep in contact with one of my professors, who has been a great help with everything. Also, I am part of the High Technology Crimes Investigation Association and that allows for networking/mentoring on various subjects.

NightShade03

We also use a mailing list at work to keep in touch with peers in the company throughout the US. I think that using this forum is also really good too for mentoring. I think it would probably be a good idea to get a mailing list setup for members of the site that want some "mentoring" outside the forums...but there would probably need to be a commitment from a few folks before such a list existed. Just my 2 cents...

whatthehell

Thanks for the responses everyone!

demonfurbie wrote: »

what kinda IT do you want to get into?

I am too much of an IT Generalist right now, so leaning towards the Network Engineer route (Cisco woot!) and/or Web Dev (CIW certs).

Devilsbane

Rather than having a single mentor, everyone here at TE is my mentor. Any technology or certification questions I have come here.

I would love to have a good friend that I could go to with questions, but the fact is that there just aren't that many people that I know that are on the same level as me. I don't mean that bragging at all because I don't consider myself to be an expert by any means. But the people I went to school with trailed off and never pursued certification, and the people I work with punch the clock and go home for the most part. If my question isn't something related to our company then they probably can't answer it.

NightShade03

Devilsbane wrote: »

Rather than having a single mentor, everyone here at TE is my mentor. Any technology or certification questions I have come here.

I would love to have a good friend that I could go to with questions, but the fact is that there just aren't that many people that I know that are on the same level as me. I don't mean that bragging at all because I don't consider myself to be an expert my any means. But the people I went to school with trailed off and never pursued certification, and the people I work with punch the clock and go home for the most part. If my question isn't something related to our company than they probably can't answer it.

+1. I feel the same way. I always turn to help/advice here. After I pass an exam I make sure to always return the favor and help out those struggling with the same exam.

demonfurbie

Devilsbane wrote: »

Rather than having a single mentor, everyone here at TE is my mentor. Any technology or certification questions I have come here.

I would love to have a good friend that I could go to with questions, but the fact is that there just aren't that many people that I know that are on the same level as me. I don't mean that bragging at all because I don't consider myself to be an expert my any means. But the people I went to school with trailed off and never pursued certification, and the people I work with punch the clock and go home for the most part. If my question isn't something related to our company than they probably can't answer it.

^^ what he said

im here just as much as facebook

for locals in network sec i tend to go to a 2600 meeting, not only do you meet network pros you meet the hackers, just dont use your real name or dive your car there

tpatt100

Yup I always used tech forums for my mentoring advice. Good to learn from the success and or mistakes of others

whatthehell

Thanks for the great advice everyone!

demonfurbie wrote: »

^^ what he said

im here just as much as facebook

for locals in network sec i tend to go to a 2600 meeting, not only do you meet network pros you meet the hackers, just dont use your real name or dive your car there

I have always been curious about a 2600 meetup. I would figure not to use my real name, but don't drive your car there????

demonfurbie

the hackers sometimes cruise around looking at license plate numbers and you can get info like town ya came from, some even have friends at the DOT and can get your addy ... it just makes you a target

if i were you id go to one the next town over if ya can

also leave the cell phone at home, phones are like candy to the phreakers and a cell phone holds alot of info

N2IT

Devilsbane wrote: »

Rather than having a single mentor, everyone here at TE is my mentor. Any technology or certification questions I have come here.

I would love to have a good friend that I could go to with questions, but the fact is that there just aren't that many people that I know that are on the same level as me. I don't mean that bragging at all because I don't consider myself to be an expert by any means. But the people I went to school with trailed off and never pursued certification, and the people I work with punch the clock and go home for the most part. If my question isn't something related to our company than they probably can't answer it.

Bane I like this post. I do view a lot of people on here as my mentor as well.

My boss is my "main" mentor for a number for reasons. That doesn't take away the fact that I have a lot of mentors on here. Lots of peers who have a lot of great knowledge to share.

Honestly without this forum I might have 1-2 certifications. ITIL V3 F and A+

My knowledge of certifications were A+, MCSE, ITIL. Laugh if you will, because it's the honest to Gods truth.

Everyone

Most of my early IT career was in the Air Force, and mentorship is a big part of being in the Military.

Now I am a mentor for many. I don't really have a technical mentor right now, but I do have a leadership/management mentor.

Tackle

Devilsbane,

I couldn't have wrote that better myself! That's exactly how it is for me and apparently others as well.

All the guys I went to school haven't excelled at the same pace as myself.
Now if only I could be making the money that some of them are, luck of the draw I suppose.

Heck, one of them even went back to roofing after he didn't like his job at a office machine repair shop...which I don't blame him.