August 12, 2024 at 12:00 am
Comments posted to this topic are about the item A Checklist for Learning
August 12, 2024 at 8:25 am
One of the things I have to do as a principal data engineer is to help those under me put together career development plans and then find ways to give them the opportunity to put those plans into action. I may not be able to magic the opportunities out of thin air but at least a discussion has been had, I'm aware of the need and so can assign the opportunities as and when they come up.
Because I have to keep a lot of plates spinning it does help if I am reminded now and again. When people remind me it prompts me that their interest isn't a passing fad.
The other point to note is there is acquiring a skill and there is retaining a skill. If you are not going to use a skill then it will wither on the vine.
I think show & tells are useful. I find that having to put together presentations or write articles forces me to delve deeper into the subject and possibly go off the beaten track to find something new and/or interesting to say. If you give a presentation, encourage questions. There may be questions to which you don't know the answer. Those too will take you down pathways you might not have considered.
I think an important point about giving presentations is that you are selling yourself and your knowledge. Because you have demonstrated your knowledge people will call on you to tap into your knowledge. This helps keep it fresh in your mind as well as helping out colleagues. Its a win-win.
Finally, I curate, collaborate with collaeagues and share a list of courses and learning material that we have found useful. There is a lot of click bait out there, it helps if you have a trusted source of good material.
August 13, 2024 at 2:57 pm
I've written about this before, so I'll be brief.
I maintain that you have to have the right kind of culture, in order to help mentoring. When I was started my career, I approached a couple of senior people, asking them if they'd mentor me. They both politely said no, so I had to pick things up by myself as best I could.
As I gained experience, I offered to mentor some junior developers. They politely said no, they weren't interested.
I don't know what it is about the community I live in, but there's no interest in mentoring or being mentored.
Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.
August 13, 2024 at 3:05 pm
A lot of people want to do things themselves, or they don't necessarily trust others for advice. Certainly some cultures also pit people against each other, so they won't help (you'll take their job/review/bonus/etc.) or they are wary of it.
Places I certainly don't want to work in.
August 13, 2024 at 3:09 pm
Very good points, Steve. It did come as a shock for me, though, as I was told the mentorship was the best way to help one start their careers. So, I found it sad that I couldn't find anyone willing to mentor me or allow me to mentor them. It wasn't until years later I found that it isn't common at most work environments in my geographic area.
Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.
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