The intern was with us for 20 weeks and helped to build the technical core of a solution that we are focussing on in 2019.
Besides having a lot of fun while working together (right now, I'm the Tech Lead, but actually, the only one creating any product as I'm the only one besides a manager), It really just hit me now: I loved how teaching him subtle things, giving advice and helping him to reach the goal of finishing his study brings me joy, too.
And it wasn't just him that learned a sh*tload of things. Listening to the feedback that the reviewers of his last internship during after his presentation made me realize that I now know more about what to focus on when mentoring another student.
It made me see that what they focus on during the presentation is the same stuff that matters when you're working in the field 10+ years after:
- remember the learning points, the times where you made a mistake and how you got past it
- focus on what you learned from it and don't keep dwelling at the mistake itself as it cannot be undone
- keep open for feedback and don't be shy to show constructive criticism to fellow colleagues
- dialogue and knowing WHY you made certain decisions is more important than the path you followed
And while Technical Engineering is about coding, design patterns, research, and all of that, the above things make you more complete as a developer. As a creator of any kind actually.
It's good to see him go on to the next phase in his life now. Rewarding even. And to know that this also is proof that by providing value you'll be rewarded. This isn't just for business. It is also for caring and helping others in life.
It was 5 hours since he got to hear the grade that put a rewarding finish tag on his study, and I'm opening up a brewsky with a smile on my face.
It was one of the most gratifying things I did 🤓. Ya know?
One of those things that makes you feel like you can take on the world.
I'm going to enjoy the fact that I now have actual proof that mentoring a student can be put on my skillset list and that It will help me to be a better colleague, entrepreneur and human overall, even if it's for just a tiny bit 👌🏻.
Do you have any experiences with mentoring students and/or others that brought similar or other positive vibes into your life?
Code Hard, Ship Harder - shipharder.com
Please ❤️ like and share if you like my story.
Top comments (0)